“The police painted all five districts in the Province blue”
ACCORDING to the Office of the Provincial Commissioner of the Northern Cape, the police’s Safer Festive Season Operation in the Province has yielded “much-desired success”.
“The safer Festive Season Operation yielded overwhelming results as the police painted all five policing districts blue. Strategic police deployments in the five policing districts – John Taolo Gaetsewe, Pixley ka Seme, Frances Baard, Namakwa and ZF Mgcawu – curbed criminal activities throughout the Northern Cape,” police spokesperson Captain Olebogeng Tawana said on Sunday.
Tawana said that senior police management in the Northern Cape “were physically on the ground to ensure that members of the public adhered to Covid-19 Disaster Management Act regulations”.
He said that “no stone was left unturned” as static roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and stop and searches were conducted, while parks were continuously visited and inspected for compliance.
“During roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints, motorists were stopped and searched for illegal transportation of alcohol, illegal firearms, illicit goods, stolen livestock and to ensure that vehicles travelling on public roads were roadworthy and the drivers were not driving while under the influence of alcohol,” said Tawana.
Compliance inspections were also conducted at tuckshops, second-hand goods dealers, taverns and shebeens.
Tawana said that several shebeens and taverns in the Province were closed down and the owners arrested for flouting the adjusted Level 3 lockdown regulations, while fines were issued to 100 people who failed to confine themselves to their residences between the 9pm and 6am curfew hours.
Fines were also issued to a number of people over the weekend for failing to wear face masks in public spaces.
Tawana added that several people were arrested for transporting alcohol or illegally dealing in liquor.
According to Tawana, several “illegal” religious, social and cultural gatherings were dispersed as “any gathering of any sort is not allowed during the adjusted Level 3 lockdown”.
He also indicated that a number of illegal firecrackers were confiscated and compliance inspections were conducted to ensure that no retailers were selling or dealing in firecrackers without valid permits.
Tawana said that the acting provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, Major-General Henriette de Waal, commended operational members “for displaying a high level of dedication during this time of the season”.
