Positive Crime Fighting in the Western Cape

Minister Ramatlakane says recent clampdowns and arrests of leading criminals is a indication that the crime fighting strategies undertaken by the Police under the leadership of Provincial Commissioner Mzwandile Petros, are yielding the desired results.

Minister Ramatlakane was commenting on learning about the arrest of a 'high flyer' criminal suspect in Delft this morning.

"I am told that the 27 year old suspect was being sought for a series of murders in the area of Khayelitsha. He has been a sort of a high flyer. I am glad that the net has finally closed on him. He will now have to face justice in our courts. I want to commend our Police for this breakthrough, they have worked around the clock for sometime to make this important arrest" said Minister Ramatlakane

Minister Ramatlakane has commented and congratulated the police for the successful finding of the 14 year old boy Waffick Bufkins who went missing from his home in Bonteheuwel on Sunday.

"I have been informed that the little boy was found unharmed in a drughouse in Woodstock . It just demonstrate that for the police to succeed in breaking down drug outlets and factories, they need the assistance of the communities.

It just shows that while there are families who are committed in bringing up their children in a normal and healthy environment, there are those who convert their house to drug factories with the intention of destroying the children who are our future generation."

"Together as communities, parents, church leaders , we need to throw our support behind the police. In this way we can save more Wafficks who by now have been turned into addicts by the druglords." said Minister Ramatlakane

Minister Ramatlakane has also commended the police for yesterday's swift arrest of a 28 year old man who could be charged for the murder of a 39 year old Bambanani volunteer in Grabouw.

"His arrest, which was a result of a tip off from the community, also help foil a possible robbery of a business in Grabouw because this suspect was with other five men heavily armed."

Other achievements by the South African Police in the last few weeks include:

• The arrest of a 22 year old man who was found cocaine drugs worth 1.8 million rand at the Cape Town International Airport. The suspect had left for Sao Paulo two weeks ago and brought the drugs hidden in cookies, when he was nabbed at the Airport.
• Police clamped down on illegal shebeens in the Southern Cape in Knysna and Sedgefield. During those operations, they arrested one person and confiscated 1260 litres of liquor, 1680 empty bottles, 108 creates, a freezer worth R10 500 .