Just before Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi was about to deliver his State of the Province Address (Sopa) on Monday night, Gauteng police revealed that one suspect was arrested and that six others had been gravely wounded in a shootout with the police.

According to Gauteng Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, the suspects were allegedly on their way to rob a cash van in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, when they were intercepted.

The incident coincided with Lesufi’s address in which he commended the provincial police for their work in stemming the tide against organised crime.

Lesufi revealed a bold plan of using technology and private partnerships to help fight crime, adding that the province cannot use old technology to fight crime anymore.

“Together with the private sector, we have identified and profiled 422 kingpins that are causing the worst crimes in our province. These 442 kingpins are responsible for cash-in-transits, kidnapping, hijackings, rented murder, ATM bombings, blue-light gangs and business robberies.

“Instead of waiting for them to commit crimes, we have put full-time surveillance around them... We congratulate the SAPS for arresting an alleged mastermind who has been linked to the murder of a Sandton businessman while he was trying to flee the country to Ethiopia,” he had said.

Masondo revealed that the six cash-in-transit robbery suspects were fatally wounded during a shootout with law enforcement officers in Laudium, Tshwane.

One of the suspects, aged 22, was arrested without injuries.

Police further recovered five unlicensed firearms and ammunition during their operation.

“Police from Crime Intelligence received information about the suspects who were en route to commit cash-in-transit robbery in Atteridgeville and activated the team that includes SAPS Gauteng Tactical Response Team, SAPS Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit, Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing, CAP Specialised Operations, and Tracker Connect to be on a lookout for the suspects,“ Masondo said.

The arrest of the six comes hot on the heels of a recent report by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who last Friday revealed that the third quarter crime statistics, covering the period from October 1 to December 31, 2024, have come down significantly.

Mchunu said the latest crime data revealed a downward trend in several major crime categories, including a 9.8% decrease in murder, 3.3% reduction in rape, and 3.2% drop in attempted sexual offences, while car hijackings and robberies at both residential and non-residential premises also saw a notable decline.

Mchunu further noted that Gauteng recorded the highest percentage of murder cases at 25%, followed by KZN (21.4%), Eastern Cape (18.9%) and the Western Cape (17.4%).

His sentiments were echoed by Gauteng provincial commissioner, Tommy Mthombeni, who said Gauteng remains the most crime-ridden place in the country.

Mthombeni lamented these figures, saying while this presents a decrease compared to the previous year, the number remains a big concern.

“It must be noted that Gauteng is the province which is having the highest population, which is over 16 million (Census 2022, places Gauteng’s population at 15,1 million, the most populated province in the country).

“Other provinces that follow might have 11 million and the rest of the other provinces don’t even have eight million. So, you can see in terms of that proportion, the percentages relate to the numbers of which we are having,’’ he said.

On Monday, Masondo further stated that preliminary investigation suggest that these six suspects are part of the gang that committed a cash-in-transit robbery in Atteridgeville recently, where four security guards were shot and injured.

“They are also suspected of being involved in other cash-in-transit robberies in Gauteng and other provinces.The suspects are facing charges that include conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as well as attempted murder,“ he added.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za