Operation Basadi in the Northern areas of Port Elizabeth culminated in various phases where the Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga led her team of female officers through gang territory interacting with the community and handing out pamphlets. Road block duties, raiding drug hotspots, stop and search operations were included in the 7 hour operation. Female law enforcers from the Metro Police as well as the Junior Provincial Commissioner and the Junior Station Commander of SAPS Gelvandale were included in the operation. These are learners from schools who were nominated during the EC Junior Commissioner’s project.
The Provincial Commissioner flanked by the Chief of Police, Yolande Faro, the Station Commander of Humewood, Brig Leonie Bentley , CPF members, Junior PC, Jnr Station Commander and female officers from Uitennhage, Motherwell and Mount Road Clusters took to the streets in numbers interacting and talking to community members. Lt Gen Ntshinga urged the community to work with the police and to report illegal activities and persons with illegal firearms and dangerous weapons to the police. She appealed to them not to ‘harbour criminals who are instilling fear in law abiding citizens and also not to attack the police who are doing their job in protecting their lives and property. ‘
The community was very receptive of the Provincial Commissioner and her entourage and voiced their concerns as well as their praise for police presence in the area. During the walkabout, twenty six (26) houses were visited in Helenvale.
Simultaneous road blocks were conducted in the Northern areas. Female detective members (Mount Road Cluster, FCS and Prov Gang Investigation Unit) also conducted suspect raiding from midnight (18/08) to 03:00 this morning. In total 205 officers (including Metro Police) worked during the operations.
The Provincial Commissioner expressed her appreciation to all the members who worked and contributed to the success of Operation Basadi in Port Elizabeth. She urged the CPF’s to work ‘hand in glove’ with the police and their communities and that operations such as this will continue as we stamp the authority of the State on criminals.