67 000 arrested over festive season
2013-01-15 14:25
Police buy now
Pretoria - A total of 67 000 people were arrested in the
country's nine provinces during the festive season, Police Minister Nathi
Mthethwa said on Tuesday.
The crimes committed included murder, robberies, rape,
kidnapping, burglary, fraud and shoplifting, he told reporters in Pretoria.
The number included police officers arrested.
"When we arrest people suspected of crime we take all
of them in the same light - that includes police officers."
Festive season safety campaign
Mthethwa, deputy police minister Makhotso Sotyu and National
Police Commissioner General Riah Phiyega were briefing the media on their
festive season safety campaign.
The campaign started on 15 October and would officially end
on 31 January.
The minister said 704 people were arrested for public
violence and called on people to exercise their right to protest within the
confines of the law.
"We respect the right of citizens to protest as that is
a constitutionally enshrined right, and we have no intention to tamper with
these rights," Mthethwa said.
"We, however, firmly oppose any violent destruction of
property, intimidation and murder of innocent people, whilst all these criminal
acts are being disguised and justified as public protests."
About 51 191 fines were issued during this period for
various offences from traffic violations to illegally operating liquor outlets,
he said.
"We remain very concerned about the lack of adherence
to the rules of the road which... have resulted in fatalities and loss of
lives," Mthethwa said.
Road deaths
"We arrested 2 751 suspects for driving under the
influence, which is exceptionally high. To date we have confiscated 451 stolen
vehicles nationally."
On Thursday, Transport Minister Ben Martins said estimates
put the number of road deaths at 1 465 people during the festive season.
Police confiscated 721 illegal firearms and 7 638 rounds of
ammunition, including nine commercial explosives.
Mthethwa said the use of drugs remained a problem.
"We confiscated six million grams of dagga, 2 832 grams
of cocaine, 4 225 grams of nyaope and 2 551 grams of tik, to mention but a
few."
About 1 477 901 people and 501 373 vehicles were searched,
and 3 614 roadblocks conducted.
- SAPA
