Question NW2668 to the Minister of Police
11 January 2022 - NW2668
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Police
(1) In light of the testimony from the SA Police Service (SAPS) Commissioner in the SA Human Rights Commission hearings, who admitted that police were understaffed and lacked the intelligence to deal with the modus operandi used’ to organise protests, what plans has his department put in place to make SAPS more protest ready in future, given the lessons learnt from the July 2021 riots that took place in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and the Republic's history of protests; (2) what are the full, relevant details and update on the recent robbery at the Malamulele Police Station where firearms and ammunition were taken and later used during robberies in the vicinity; (3) whether he will furnish Ms Z Majozi with the relevant information on the statistics relating to robberies that target police firearms and ammunition in the Republic in the past three years; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. Between July 2021 and March 2022, the target is to train members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), at police stations, as first responders and equip them with pyrotechnics.
The continual training of SAPS members at police stations, as first responders and equipping them with Crowd Management equipment, will reduce the risk of such incidents. It will enhance the response time as the police station members will be closer to the incidents, until such time that the Public Order Policing (POP) capacity is deployed. The target for training is 10 000 members, based on the proximity to hotspot areas. To date, 8 000 members have been trained and training is continuing.
2. On 22 November 2021, at approximately 22:00, a group of armed suspects entered the Community Service Centre (CSC) of Malamulele Police Station and overpowered four SAPS members and disarmed them. A female Data Typist was locked in a patrol vehicle, which was parked outside the police station.
The suspects took four R5 assault rifles, four shotguns and four pistols from the SAPS members and from the safe, in the CSC. The suspects then left the Police Station and locked the main gate with a padlock, on their way out.
Thereafter, the suspects robbed the Sasol Garage, the Wisani Total Garage and a nearby shop. During the attack, the suspects blasted a safe at the Total Garage and fired several shots. One community member was wounded in the process and two vehicles were hijacked, which were recovered a few kilometers from the scene.
Find here: The following criminal cases were opened, as a result of the above crimes