Parliament, Thursday, 8 August 2019 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, welcomes the raids in the Johannesburg inner city following the abandoned building raids last week. The country’s laws are sacrosanct and must be respected and enforced at all times without any exception.
“The raids are a clear indication of the rule of law and such operations must be planned and executed regularly to defeat the counterfeit industry across the country. Where there is illegality happening police must move in to eradicate such acts,” Ms Joemat-Pettersson emphasised.
The committee applauds the Minister of Police, the Gauteng Provincial Government and the leadership of the Johannesburg metropolitan police for their swift and collaborative effort to remove counterfeit goods from our streets.
The committee also called for the appropriate processing of the counterfeit goods and ultimate destruction. “It will be undesirable and unfortunate if the goods are to find their way back into the counterfeit market again. To achieve this, South African Police Service (Saps) management must ensure a corruption-free service with police officers that are not corruptible,” Ms Joemat-Pettersson said.
While the raids are welcomed, the committee has emphasised the need to strengthen import processes, especially at ports of entry. These goods find their way to our shores through our ports of entry and if systems are strengthened there then there will be a reduced need to have these raids. Central to achieving this lies in the effectiveness of the country’s intelligence agencies and collaboration with other agencies across the world.
The committee welcomes the confiscation of an arms cache during the raids. “The cache, which included an AK47 and other assault rifles, are a clear indication of the criminality associated with the counterfeit industry. The committee continues to call for the removal of illegal firearms from our streets, as they are tools that bring terror to our communities,” Ms Joemat-Pettersson said.
The committee will continue to interact with stakeholders, to find strategies to fight all forms of criminality.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MS TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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