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595 FRIDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2008
596
QUESTIONS
For written reply:
ATMs bombed
1226. Ms D KOHLER-BARNARD (DA)
asked the Minister of Safety and Security:
(1) (a) How many ATMs have been
bombed in each of the past five years
in each province, (b) what is the
South African Police Service (SAPS)
doing to combat this specific type of
criminal activity and (c) what successes
has the SAPS had to date with
regard to (i) arrests and (ii) convictions
of perpetrators of ATM bombings;
(2) whether any special investigations
have been done into the allegations
that SAPS and SANDF members
provided weapons and explosives to
the bombers; if not, why not; if so,
what are the relevant details;
(3) whether any SAPS and SANDF
members have been (a) arrested and
(b) convicted in respect of ATM
bombings; if so, what are the relevant
details? NW1972E
The MINISTER OF SAFETY AND
SECURITY:
(1) (a) The following number of ATMs
have been bombed per province:
2004-07 = From 1 January to
31 December
2008 = From 1 January to
31 March
Province 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Total
Eastern Cape 5 18 1 — — 24
Free State 4 21 — — — 25
Gauteng 82 198 38 5 1 324
KwaZulu-Natal 10 33 1 — — 44
Limpopo 10 38 1 — — 49
Province 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Total
Mpumalanga 8 23 2 1 — 34
Northern Cape 1 2 — — — 3
North West 17 50 7 — 1 75
Western Cape 0 8 — — — 8
137 391 50 6 2 586
(b) The reported cases are being investigated
by the Organised Crime
Units. Dedicated Organised Crime
detectives, forming part of the
Specific Violent Crime Sections
within Organised Crime, were appointed
to investigate these cases
in each province. The operational
strategy employed in addressing
these crimes is continuously reviewed
and adapted to meet the
changes in the modi operandi used
by the perpetrators of these
(2)
crimes.
(c) (i) A total of 231 suspects were
arrested in 318 cases.
(ii) Four accused were convicted.
No special investigations have been
conducted in investigating the involvement
of SAPS and SANDF members in
ATM-related crimes. Each case is investigated
thoroughly. If it transpires
that members of the SAPS and the
SANDF are involved in a specific case,
the extent of their involvement in the
crime is investigated in full. To date,
seven (7) members of the SAPS and
one (1) member attached to the SANDF
have been investigated and arrested for
their involvement in ATM-related
crimes.
(3) (a) Six (6) SAPS members and one
(1) SANDF member were arrested.
(b) No members of the SAPS or
SANDF have been convicted.