Question NW75 to the Minister of Police

Reply:

The National Policing Strategy (NPS), which has adopted by the SAPS in 2022/23, seeks to give effect to the SAPS’ commitment towards using an inclusive approach to addressing crime and violence. The SAPS has also developed the Increased Crime Prevention and Combating Action Plan (ICPCAP), which has been incorporated into the NPS, and which focuses the efforts and the SAPS, in collaboration with its law enforcement partners and key government departments, on the immediate stabilisation of violent crime in the country, focusing on the identified Top 30 High Contact Crime Stations (HCCSs). The ICPCAP includes the implementation of weekly, intelligence-led high density operations, within the Top 30 HCCSs, as well as other prioritised station precincts, which is referred to as “Operation Shanela”.

Operation Shanela was initiated in May 2023, and requires the SAPS to work with other law enforcement agencies, key departments in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster and civil society partners, to fight crime, using the five-pillar approach, which is included in the NPS. Operation Shanela, therefore, extends the successful “Operation O’ Kae Molao” methodology, to all provinces and the Top 30 HCCSs, including other prioritised station areas.

The monitoring of the progress that is achieved by the SAPS and its partners in the fight against violent crime, through Operation Shanela, is monitored weekly by the National Commissioner, in conjunction with the Provincial Commissioners. The monitoring of the reported incidence of contact crimes at the Top 30 HCCSs is also included in the SAPS’ Annual Performance Plan, which implies that it is cascaded down to provincial, district and station levels, thereby prioritising these stations. The management of the SAPS provides detailed feedback on the operations that were conducted during the previous week, the emerging crime trends that were identified, and the successes that were achieved with the aforementioned operations. The management of the SAPS will also indicate the action that will be taken to address all emerging crime trends that are identified, as part of the overall approach to the implementation of Operation Shanela. Operation Shanela, therefore, represents the immediate plan that the SAPS, together with its JCPS Cluster partners, is using to curb crime and improve the levels and feelings of safety in communities, specifically at the Top 30 HCCSs.

The resourcing of the Top 30 HCCSs has also been prioritised, in order to ensure that adequate resources are available at these stations. The SAPS allocates dedicated funding to the respective provinces annually, for the further capacitation and resourcing of the Top 30 HCCSs.