National Commissioner Says SAPS Will 'Deal Decisively' With Criminals

National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) General Fannie Masemola said the department will not tolerate attacks on police and deal with extortionists decisively.

He also warned that attacks on police officers will not be tolerated. The warning came after a member of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) was attacked at their base in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. The NIU is investigating allegations of extortion in the area.

During a media briefing following a visit to the NIU base in Mthatha on Sunday, Masemola noted that those "who are involved in all forms of crime and especially those gangs, criminals and syndicates involved in extortion. We are going to deal decisively with you," SA News reported.

Masemola noted that the police will not stand by while their dedicated officers are targeted. He urged officers to act decisively when faced with danger, highlighting their duty to protect both themselves and the communities they serve.

He also said that extortion cases in the area are often not reported. However, he mentioned that at least 38 cases have been reported since the extortion hotline was set up two weeks ago.

"We are assuring communities that a dedicated team of investigators and members of specialized units that are attached to the task team dealing with extortion are working on this information with a view to build up cases and bring those responsible to book," he said.

He added, "[From] mid-August, we have deployed additional members to support and augment the available capacities in this province to deal with extortion decisively. To date, a lot of work has been put in through intelligence gathering on suspected syndicates linked to extortion and protection fees."

Masemola further shared that tracing operations, roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and searching of persons have been conducted.

Earlier this year, KwaZulu-Natal police killed six suspects and recovered five firearms in two separate shootout incidents.

KZN police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said in one of the shootouts the police officers, who belong to the NIU, acted upon information received and caught two suspects wanted for intimidation, extortion and other violent crimes.