TSHWANE GEARS UP FOR EASTER BY ARMING METRO POLICE TO THE BONE!

The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) launched its Easter Campaign in Olivenhoutbosch today, marked by the unveiling of a new fleet of vehicles aimed at bolstering TMPD’s effort to curb lawlessness during the Easter holidays and beyond.

The event was presided over by TMPD Chief of Police Commissioner YCR Faro, with the City of Tshwane Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, and the MMC of Community Safety, Alderman Hannes Coetzee, who delivered keynote addresses.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi also attended as a special guest, offering a message of support for the campaign and the community.

The new vehicles will be deployed across Tshwane to increase police visibility, improve response times, and support targeted operations focused on reducing crime and traffic-related incidents during the Easter season.

Faro urges all residents and visitors to adhere to traffic laws, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with law enforcement officers to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday period.

Moya said the City meets this Easter period at a defining moment, with revelations
emerging from the Madlanga Commission having exposed a painful truth.

“Corruption and failure within parts of our system have compromised the safety of our people,”she said.

“This is not abstract. This is not distant. This is real. It has consequences for every
resident who expects protection and instead finds vulnerability. We must be clear and firm. Corruption in law enforcement is not just misconduct, it is a betrayal of the people. In Tshwane, that betrayal will be confronted decisively and without hesitation.

She revealed that they have chosen Olievenhoutbosch deliberately: “This is a community that has
carried the weight of crime, including violent robberies, drug networks, intimidation,
and lawlessness that has tested the limits of residents’ patience and resilience.”

However, Olievenhoutbosch is not a symbol of defeat, according to Moya, it is a symbol of resistance, as it represents a community that refuses to be broken.

She added: “We are bringing the full force of law enforcement to where it is needed most.
As we enter the Easter period, the risks are clear. There will be increased travel,
increased gatherings, and increased opportunities for criminal activity.

“This year, however, the City is not reacting. It is prepared. The Easter Safety Plan is built on
visibility, enforcement, and consequence. As part of this plan, the City is unveiling 24 new vehicles. They are operational tools that will increase patrol capacity, improve response times, and ensure that
officers are present where they are needed most. A police service without mobility
cannot protect.”

She said without hesitation that Tshwane is taking a bold and necessary step to council this Thursday as it
presents the draft 2026/27 annual budget.

The budget allocated to watchmen services will be reduced by over R100 million.

“These resources will be redirected towards strengthening the Metro Police and advancing active,
intelligence-led security across the City,” she explained.

“This is a deliberate decision. For too long, public money has been spent on
fragmented guarding systems that do not prevent crime and do not deliver real
protection.

“The City is choosing a different path by investing in trained, accountable,
professional law enforcement that can act, respond, and protect.

“Every rand must serve the safety of residents and not sustain systems that do not deliver.
The City also rejects any suggestion of privatisation of the Metro Police. Public safety is not for sale. Law enforcement is not a commodity. The protection of residents will not be outsourced to private interests.”