Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula told provincial ministers of safety on Monday to create space in prisons for violent criminals.
Nqakula met with the nine provincial ministers to receive a report from police management on the progress with the six-month plan to crack down on violent crime in the country.
”Police have been able to do what we have asked them to do, to begin to use their investigative skills to get those criminals,” Nqakula said.
”They also started doing what we said needed to be done to strengthen local police stations … We are not in a position at this time to indicate how many people have been arrested.”
He promised, however, that police would release information on the arrests made since the crackdown started in June before the end of September.
Nqakula said he has asked provincial ministers to come up with places where juvenile and female prisoners, who were not linked to violent or serious crimes, could be kept in order to free up space in the country’s prisons.
He said due to the increase in arrests the courts and prisons would soon be ”clogged up”.
Meanwhile, police were still improving police management by sending experienced officers to command local police stations and oversee crime-prevention operations.
”The report that we have been given today [Monday] is a very encouraging one. There are many people who were on the list of the wanted criminals in the country that have been arrested,” Nqakula said.
The annual release of crime statistics was also due to take place at the end of the month. — Sapa