Chairperson, the gains made against criminals by the police in our country in the past weeks are indeed momentous. The resolve, determination and commitment shown by law enforcers to close down the space for criminals in our country are highly commendable. We are deeply gratified.
In the two cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, police have scored signal victories against criminals. It is unfortunate that fatalities occurred in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The police were shot at and had to respond by firing back.
Incidents of cash-in-transit heists, in particular, have continued to spiral, and the fact that six of those who carried out the heist paid with their lives, on this occasion, must serve as an unmistakable warning to others that they will meet the sternest measures possible, if they persist with their criminal acts.
In all these instances, tip-offs and intelligence played a crucial role in the success of the police operation against the mobsters, gangsters and criminal syndicate members. We, therefore, encourage people to continue to provide information against all criminals so that the law enforcement agencies of our country can work effectively to neutralise them.
We congratulate the police on their sterling efforts. We are, indeed, very proud of their achievements of last week, and we trust that what we saw last week will become a regular occurrence.
Law enforcers need to have the upper hand with our criminals, because they are, in fact, the criminals among our people. Thank you. [Applause.]