BuaNews (Tshwane)
Lavinia Mahlangu
5 October 2007
Pretoria — So far, 237 alleged criminals have been arrested as a result of the Crime Line initiative founded by Primedia, in partnership with government.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said child rape, attempted murder, drug dealing, possession of stolen property and possession of counterfeit goods are just some of the crimes for which 20 alleged criminals have been arrested over the past few weeks through Crime Line.
"The latest successes bring the total number of people arrested as a result of anonymous tip-offs to Primedia to 237 and the total value of goods seized to R14.8 million," the SAPS said.
The public can SMS Crime Line anonymously on 32211 or go to http://www.crimeline.co.za <http://www.crimeline.co.za/> . R1 is charged per SMS.
Primedia, which has access to millions of South Africans through its radio stations and billboard advertising, amongst others, has championed this cause to mobilise South Africans in the fight against crime.
This is a move which government has hailed as a practical symbol of public-private partnerships.
The launch of the initiative in June was attended by National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi and Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, both of whom voiced government's support for it.
The SAPS said Information received via Crime Line's web site led to the arrest of a man in Krugersdorp West for the alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl in Claremont, Johannesburg.
The victim is related to the suspect.
"It is alleged that the child was sent to the suspect to give him cigarettes, but the man indecently assaulted her after having raped her two years previously when she was only 8 years old," the police said.
A medical examination has substantiated that a sexual assault took place.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, has already appeared in court and is expected to apply for bail shortly.
"The South African Police Service thanks the anonymous informant for bringing this heinous crime to our attention through Primedia."
In another incident in Gauteng, a man was arrested for attempted murder after having tried to shoot his former girlfriend.
"Fortunately for her, even though he pulled the trigger of the firearm which was held against her head five times, either the firearm misfired or he did not know how to use it and she was not harmed."
The suspect, said police, has a history of domestic violence and a protection order had been obtained against him.
The man has appeared in court and the case is continuing. In order to ensure the anonymity of the tipster, no further details on this case can be provided at this stage.
"As crimes against women and children enjoy top priority by the South African Police Service, the arrest of these two alleged perpetrators for having physically and emotionally brutalized two innocent victims must be welcomed by all decent law-abiding South Africans," said the SAPS.
Over the past two weeks, the police reacted to information supplied relating to counterfeit goods, which resulted in the confiscation of 2 000 counterfeit PC games; 1 781 counterfeit DVDs; 100 counterfeit music CDs and eight Sony PlayStation 2 game controllers.
In the same period police in Rustenburg also confiscated R1.2 million worth of counterfeit clothing including fake Nike, Adidas, Puma, Levis, Soviet and Billabong merhcnadise.
Four suspects were arrested during the above operations and, besides the clothing, the value of the goods seized amounted to R845 000.
Six drug-dealing cases were registered as a result of tip-offs, both in Gauteng and the Western Cape, with 11 suspects being arrested and ecstasy, TIK, cocaine rocks and dagga being seized as evidence.
"Congratulations to Detective Inspector Brett Clark of the Johannesburg Organised Crime Unit who arrested two men for selling dagga to school children on the East Rand, Gauteng, and confiscated over 60 kg of dagga worth more than R60 000 in the process," said the SAPS.
Stolen property recovered during weeks 15 and 16 of the Crime Line project include nine cellular phones and 19 boxes of cigarette cartons worth R100 000.
As communities begin to rally behind the Crime Line project, even the theft of water has been reported in Polokwane, in Limpopo Province.
It was alleged that a resident of a property in De Wet Drive, Bendor, Polokwane had attached a T-connector to the water pipe in front of the meter, thus allowing him to use water without paying for it.
The information was relayed to the Polokwane Municipality and the man was issued with a R500 fine.
"Crime Line is working, thanks to the people of South Africa who have decided to take back their communities and say no to crime and criminals," the SAPS said, thanking communities for taking an active role in the fight against crime.
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