The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, commended detectives for their success in securing long prison sentences for serious crimes related to child protection. Between April 7 and May 18, 2023, detectives from various stations and provincial units obtained more than 10 life imprisonment terms, totaling over 1000 years in prison. The sentences were handed down to approximately 90 accused individuals involved in nearly 85 separate cases. The charges included murder, rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, and possession of child pornography.
The situation in Majola villages of Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape has been dire for years. The village has experienced incidents of violence and crime that have resulted in the burning down of over 140 homesteads and houses and the killing of 22 people in the past three years alone. The conflict has displaced scores of families, leaving women and children destitute.