More than 1Â 000 arrests have been made in three provinces in the police’s Operation Basadi in the past four days, mostly for crimes against women.
The arrests were made in the Western Cape, Free State and Northern Cape, mainly for rape, domestic violence and abuse, said Captain Percy Morokane.
”While the majority of the suspects were arrested for charges relating to violence against women and children, we did not turn a blind eye to other outstanding criminal cases,” he said.
About a third of the arrests were for murder, attempted murder, assault with grievous bodily harm, fraud and drug-related offences. Arrests were also made for illegal possession of firearms linked to serious criminal cases, vehicle hijacking and motor-vehicle theft.
Deputy Minister of Safety and Security Susan Shabangu joined police for the Northern Cape leg of the arrests, because of the high prevalence there of violence against women and children — including rape, indecent assault, domestic violence, abuse and common assault.
She was accompanied by the police’s first-ever woman provincial commissioner, Northern Cape Commissioner Miriam Zukiswa Mbombo.
In a statement afterwards, Shabangu said domestic violence is not a private matter.
”It affects the ability of people to participate in their communities’ development.
”As neighbours, relatives, government services within communities, we all have a role to play in addressing issues that can break cycles or repeated victimisation or offending and leading to generational cycles of violence.”
Basadi is a seTswana and seSotho word for women.
The operation comes during the 16 Days of Activism campaign opposing violence against women and children, which runs from November 25 to December 10. — Sapa