Tag: Mzwandile Petros

1000 South African policemen arrested for crimes

One thousand police officials have been arrested for crime in the past three years, Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros said on Thursday.

The arrests were made between September 2010 and April this year, he said at a New Age breakfast on government’s drug clean-up campaign.

With a police station comprising about 300 officials, this meant three stations had in effect been closed down.

Petros said this would not deter police management from its drive to clean up the service.

“It takes two years to train a police official. Even if we are left with 10, or one police official, that is how far we are going to take the campaign,” he said. – Sapa

Drugs sold to primary school children

Children as young as 12 are being sold drugs around school premises, Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Mzwandile Petros said on Wednesday.

“I have met with primary school principals in some of our clusters regarding the drug problem. The situation is severe… some have indicated that they are helpless,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“If consumption of drugs happens at schools, then it means the sale of these substances is around school premises.”

Petros was giving an overview of Gauteng crime statistics for 2011/2012.

Some school children were working with the police to thwart the drug trade on school grounds, he said.

“This project has been done successfully in areas such as Klerksdorp: we are rolling it out in schools across the province.”

Serious crime such as murder, armed robbery, rape and hijacking had decreased in Gauteng compared with the previous financial year.

However, crimes such as theft out of vehicles, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, drug possession, dealing in drugs, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs were on the increase.

Police were working hard to make Gauteng citizens feel safe, said Petros.

Rural safety campaigns had been introduced in areas such as Muldersdrift and Midrand. – Sapa