Police across South Africa have intensified crime-fighting efforts through high-visibility and intelligence-led operations under Operation Shanela II, with thousands arrested and large volumes of contraband seized. However, a recent parliamentary reply has revealed a wide gap between arrests and convictions, raising concerns over the long-term effectiveness of these crackdowns.
Nationwide Arrests and Major Seizures
Between 28 July and 3 August 2025, SAPS operations in Limpopo, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, and Mangaung Metro led to the arrest of over 1,100 individuals. Key incidents include:
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Limpopo: 825 arrests for serious crimes including murder, rape, assault GBH, robbery, and illegal firearm possession. Seized items included over 1,300 litres of alcohol, counterfeit goods, knives, ammunition and cash.
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Western Cape: A 42-year-old suspect was arrested in Grassy Park for drug dealing, illegal liquor sales, and unlawful possession of police-issued equipment. The arrest followed a raid in the Sondela informal settlement.
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Northern Cape: 341 suspects arrested, with large quantities of drugs, counterfeit clothing, illicit tobacco, firearms and dangerous weapons confiscated. Operation Basadi was launched on 1 August to highlight the role of women in law enforcement during Women’s Month.
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Groblershoop: Coordinated raids uncovered R1.9 million in counterfeit clothing and R462,920 in illicit tobacco. Police also confiscated illegal fireworks and electronic devices in violation of the Electronic Communications Act.
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Mangaung Metro: Local foot patrols in crime hotspots resulted in arrests for undocumented residency and drunk driving. Police conducted public engagement to share safety tips and promised further operations.
Provincial police commissioners praised the dedication of officers and the support of local communities and partners in sustaining the operations.
Parliament Flags Alarming Conviction Gap
Despite the visible policing presence and large-scale arrests, concerns persist regarding the effectiveness of follow-through in the courts. In response to a parliamentary question by ANC MP Mogodu Samuel Moela, the Minister of Police disclosed that since Operation Shanela’s inception in May 2023, more than 3.68 million cases have been opened, but only 215,233 convictions have been achieved.
Convictions by Province:
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Western Cape: 54,125
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Gauteng: 37,440
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KwaZulu-Natal: 30,131
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Limpopo: 26,389
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Eastern Cape: 23,804
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Free State: 15,879
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Mpumalanga: 11,214
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North West: 9,437
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Northern Cape: 6,814
The conviction rate stands at just under 6 percent nationally, suggesting a systemic issue in the progression of cases from arrest to successful prosecution.
When asked for gender-specific data on these cases, the Minister explained that providing a demographic breakdown would require an extensive and time-consuming physical docket analysis. Such an exercise, he noted, would likely disrupt service delivery due to the scope and scale of the crimes involved.
Criticism from Civil Society
During a previous interview with ProtectionWeb, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, offered a blunt assessment. “There’s no indication to us that they’re being successfully convicted. I think it’s a massive waste of resources. It is a very old-fashioned way of policing.”
While he acknowledged that the operation may have some seasonal value, Cameron was clear in his view that the current approach is flawed. “I think there is a place for something like Shanela, especially during holiday periods and that type of thing. I think there is potential value in it. But, it’s high numbers of low-level street arrests that in most cases, don’t see a successful conviction.”
Cameron warned that the burden placed on the detective services is considerable and counterproductive. “They put the detective services under immense pressure. If you go and spend time with detectives on ground level where Shanela was active, they hate it. They hate it with an absolute passion, because the dockets that they end up having to build are terrible. The information they get from the arrest work is usually kind of worthless, and they just feel like they’ve got other solid matters to be working on, in-depth investigations they would rather zoom in on.”
He added, “If you can’t indicate to me that you had a solid conviction for each one of those arrests, it means nothing. In fact, I think instead of being a deterrent, I think some criminals that just come off of it unharmed again just find it even more comfortable to be criminal in South Africa.”
Although Operation Shanela and its provincial offshoots have disrupted criminal activity and bolstered police presence, the growing disparity between arrests and actual convictions, combined with mounting criticism from civil society, raises hard questions about the operation’s long-term impact. Without a clear link between arrests and successful prosecutions, the effectiveness of Shanela as a crime deterrent is doubtful.
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