JOHANNESBURG - Police descended on the streets of Thembisa, setting up roadblocks, searching vehicles and raiding illegal liquor outlets.
Gauteng’s top cop led Operation Shanela, the high-visibility crime operation, in the township.
But while officers moved in with force, residents say it will take much more to impress them.
READ: Operation Shanela, Mthombeni leads crime blitz in Ekurhuleni
For many, violent crime, drugs, robberies and gun violence are part of daily life.
And they say police have been failing them for years.
Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni says they’re working hard to ensure communities feel safer this year.
Police say operations like Shanela are meant to assert the authority of the state and deter crime.
But in Thembisa, residents say real success will be measured by whether there is sustained police visibility, stronger investigations, and safer streets long after the roadblocks are packed up.
- eNCA’s Nabeelah Shaikh reports.