Operation Chachamela around Ellis Park, Newtown and the inner city corridor between them will keep residents and visitors safe during the Confederations Cup.
SAFETY and security will be a priority as the city hosts the Confederations Cup.
The Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) will make sure that Joburg residents and visitors alike are safe during the football tournament with Operation Chachamela, which will run until 29 June. The Confederations Cup runs from 14 to 28 June.
This operation, launched on 8 June, is a joint initiative of the Region F urban management team, the JMPD, the City Safety Programme and relevant City departments of the areas surrounding Ellis Park. Already, a task team has conducted a site inspection and identified various issues that negatively affect safety and security.
These include illegal parking, illegal street trading, common robbery and drug dealing.
"The aim of the operation is to reduce the incidence of criminal incidents in the inner city and surrounding areas," said Wayne Minnaar, the JMPD spokesperson. Operation Chachamela seeks to improve compliance with City by-laws and other legislation.
"We want to create a more orderly, clean and well-managed urban environment in the inner city," he said.
Unathi Mthethwa, the Region F manager, spoke of the broad objectives behind the campaign. "We want to use such operations as a catalyst for urban regeneration."
Minnaar pointed out that many people were scared to go into the inner city because of crime; this operation would work to reduce the fear of crime and thus encourage residents and visitors to use the public spaces and other amenities in the area.
Focus
The operation targets the Joburg CBD, Braamfontein, Hillbrow, Yeoville, Berea, the greater Ellis Park precinct and Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown. It focuses on traffic management, by-law enforcement and crime prevention.
To combat crime there are stop and search operations and visible policing
Officers are watching for illegal parking, car washing in public roads, illegal taxi ranks, road and pavement obstructions, and abandoned vehicles - a vehicle is considered abandoned if it has been left in a public area for seven days.
By-law enforcement is focusing on illegal street trading, and officers will confiscate merchandise. Liquor outlets, open fires, and illegal panel beaters and spray painters are being inspected.
To combat crime there are stop and search operations and visible policing to prevent aggravated robbery, common robbery, theft of motor vehicles, illegal public gambling, drug dealing and the selling of pirated DVDs.
This operation is in line with the Gauteng Liquor Act, Firearm Control Act, Tobacco Act and Copyrights Act.
Departments involved include Region F and the JMPD's equestrian unit, crime intervention unit, special patrol unit and by-law management unit. Emergency management services, environmental health, liquor licensing unit, urban inspectors, planning and building control, Pikitup, Joburg Water, City Parks, City Power and Joburg Roads Agency, as well as the South African Police Service (SAPS) are also taking part.
Implementation
Actions undertaken as part of Operation Chachamela include informing owners and managers of establishments as well as individuals about the purpose of the operation.
Searches are also planned. There are 400 representatives from the participating departments, divided into four groups. Each has an area of responsibility where they conduct searches, inspections and patrols.
Each group has a commander, record keeper, fine issuers, searchers, confiscators and guards. The group commander is tasked with ensuring that owners and managers are present during searches and potential seizures of any items.
These groups work in two shifts, from 6am to 2pm and then from 2pm to 10pm. Merchandise seized during the operation is fully recorded and loaded on to the trucks provided.
All firearms and other unlawful weapons seized are also recorded by the exhibit clerk of the SAPS, marked accordingly and locked away in a patrol van dedicated for this purpose.
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