15 Women and 2 Men Killed in Lusikisiki

Remarks by Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu:

The Ministry of Police is encouraged with the level of response that has been meted out to ruthless criminals across the country.

We are at this stage, confident that our men and women in blue working with key stakeholders in the fight against crime – are on the right track and getting a grip on serious and violent crime.

In the last four weeks alone, a total of Fifty- three-thousand- five- hundred-and-twenty-five suspects have been arrested through the Police’s high density operations commonly known as OPERATION SHANELA.

These include, ten-thousand-eight-hundred – and -forty-four suspects that are wanted criminals for serious and violent crime including murder, rape, kidnappings and extortion related crime.

More than four-hundred-and-thirty (430) illegal and unlicensed firearms which include handguns and rifles have been seized during the same period. The majority of these firearms were seized in the Eastern Cape where we have been in the last two days, the Western Cape , Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The interception of large consignment of drugs and the arrest of drug traffickers by police does indicate to us that intelligence is on the ground and our men and women in blue remain vigilant and ready to deal decisively with all forms of criminality in all parts of our country. In two months, at the country’s largest airport, OR TAMBO International Airport , which is used as a gateway to Africa, police have arrested ten drug traffickers and seized more than R13 million worth of drugs, which was mostly cocaine.

The crime of extortion remains a thorn in the flesh for our communities and we have heard our communities cries – we have previously made it clear, that we are fetching each of these extortionists and will ensure they answer to crimes committed.

The incidents of extortion that are narrated and reported to us – where communities are living in fear because of these extortionists – is a situation that won’t be tolerated nor will it be accepted.

We therefore as the Police Ministry support this bold and decisive approach that has been adopted by our men and women in blue. This is a clear demonstration that we remain resolute to defend our communities. Indeed – these extortionists days are numbered!

Just this week alone, police arrested six of in Gauteng. The six had just forcefully collected R42 000 from foreign shop owners in and around Soshanguve and Akasia in Tshwane. Police intercepted them and confiscated all these monies that were taken from hardworking individuals.

Two known extortionists were also shot and killed in Mthatha, which is about a six hour drive from where we are today. This pair was found with an undisclosed amount of money and two unlicensed firearms.

At least twenty extortionsts have been shot and killed during confrontation with our men and women in blue in the last month.

It is important to note that our goal is to arrest and bring perpetrators of crime before various courts to answer to crimes committed. But, when our men and women in blue find themselves in a situation that requires them to ACT… They will ACT and use force proportional to the threat!

Ladies and gentlemen …

The Police Ministry has spent the last two days in the Eastern Cape with the aim of strengthening our working relations with all spheres of government – but most importantly our communities.

As we gather here in KwaNobuhle, the Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale and other management of the SAPS are in Motherwell.

The MEC of Community Safety , Mr Xolile Nqata and a delegation is also meeting with communities in New Brighton.

We also have the Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Mr Gary Van Niekerk in Bethelsdorp.

These community engagements comes off the back of the signing of the cooperation agreement between the SAPS, the Provincial Government and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality which aims to ensure that all spheres of government jointly address crime challenges plaguing our communities.

These cooperation agreements aim to strengthen and sharpen our response in preventing and combatting serious and violent crime.

This morning, we woke up to the news of seventeen family members who were shot and killed in Ngobozana village in Lusikisiki. This callous attack took place at two homesteads in the same street, during the early hours of this morning.

In the first homestead, four people were shot and killed, with no survivors.

In the second homestead, there were nineteen people in two different houses in the same yard. Thirteeen people were shot and killed. Six people survived which include a two-month old baby.

In total, fifteen women and two men were killed.

The survivors are four women, one man and the two-month-old baby.

The National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has mobilised maximum resources to ensure these killers are found. The national commissioner has deployed a dedicated team of detectives and forensic experts which include crime scene managers from Pretoria to piece all evidence together in a bid to apprehend these brutal criminals.

We have full faith and confidence in the team that has been deployed to crack this case and find these criminals.

Either they hand themselves over or we will fetch them ourselves.

We urge our men and women in blue to continue to assert the authority of the state for the benefit of our communities.

Communities have no one to look up to for their safety – but the men and women in blue.

We will leave no stone unturned in solving cases and hunting down perpetrators.

We continue to urge communities to work closely with police in sharing information and providing tip-offs to ensure that collectively – we create safer communities.