While Operation Shanela continues to improve the police’s responses to crime across the country, the Ministry of Police is encouraged by the South African Police Service’s zero-tolerance approach to illegal liquor outlets who operate without impunity at the expense of communities.
The Ministry is convinced that the SAPS can further bolster the fight against crime and keep communities safer, if officers consistently tackle the illegal sale and consumption of alcohol in communities.
Alcohol plays a major role in violence and is a major crime driver in South Africa.
According to the latest released crime statistics, there were 4 635 liquor related crimes reported to the SAPS between April to June 2023.
In three months, 247 murders and 1 143 rapes that took place either at a bar, club, tavern or a shebeen. A staggering 3 147 cases of assault GBH took place at a liquor outlet.
Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele on Friday 06 October 2023 joined the KwaZulu- Natal leg of Operation Shanela where police in the eThekwini Metro, amongst other operations, conducted raids targeting illegal liquor outlets.
Minister Cele noted with displeasure and great concern the amount of resistance from communities during police raids and closures of unlicensed liquor outlets.
“It’s a fact! Alcohol is a major driver of crime in communities and police are under instruction to enforce the law and shut down illegal liquor hangouts and bring the owners to book. While this might be seen as a low hanging fruit or ‘easy target’ for the police, for us; prevention will always be better than cure, police must continue to target and shut down these unlicensed liquor outlets who sell to underage customers, operate for hours on end without impunity and dismally fail to ensure the safety of their customers when alcohol fuelled fights break-out or vulnerable customers are targeted by criminals.”
Minister Cele concluded to say “Such outlets are a menace to society and to policing and will not be tolerated.” Cele.
Operation Shanela KZN saw high density operations in Durban and other identified crime hot-spots in the eThekwini metro.
Police acted on intelligence and conducted crime prevention raids, executed warrants of arrests and conducted disruptive operations removing firearms and other dangerous weapons off the streets.
Countrywide, Operation Shanela has since inception in May 2023, resulted in the arrest of over 155 thousand suspected criminals and the high density operations continue each week in all provinces.