Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Ian Cameron MP
The DA commends the South African Police Service (SAPS) for intercepting a cash-in-transit gang in Khayelitsha last night
During a walkabout with neighbourhood watch groups and meeting with the family of a victim who was beaten to death in Elsiesrivier, the DA Spokesperson on Police, Ian Cameron MP, was alerted to the shootout in Khayelitsha. He subsequently journeyed to the township and visited the scene. See picture here.
Despite the violent shootout that resulted in the deaths of eight robbers, the swift action of the multidisciplinary law enforcement teams showed the importance of well-resourced specialised units. Five suspects were also arrested.
Police confiscated a number of high-caliber firearms including seven AK-47 rifles, two R5 rifles, one R4 rifle, one Dashprod rifle, two 9mm pistols and three improvised explosive charges, along with several magazines of ammunition.
Over the last week, police have stood firm against violent criminals, with 17 suspects fatally shot in KwaZulu-Natal. It is abundantly clear that these criminals operate with military precision, and the execution of their criminal activities are backed with meticulous and long-term planning. The SAPS and crime intelligence must focus on bringing these malicious plans to light and nip them in the bud before lives are lost.
The SAPS, working in tandem with the Hawks and other crime units, are signaling warning signs to violent criminals that if they take up arms against the SAPS, they will be met with swift action.
The DA has consistently called for the government to establish intelligence units to clamp down on crime and lawlessness. For far too long, South Africans have been held hostage by criminality and desperately yearn for protection from our law enforcement agencies.