On behalf of the Multi-Party Government, I would like to commend the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) for their swift response resulting in the on-site arrest of a female suspect at around 02h00 this morning at the Metro Centre - headquarters of the City of Johannesburg.

The suspect was found in possession of computer hard drives and other tools used to disassemble computer hardware.
 
In the early hours of Monday (7 February 2022) morning, I was alerted to yet another break-in at the Metro Centre, where the suspect was found hiding under a table on the second floor, which houses offices of the Electoral Commission (IEC).
 
What is most distressing about this break-in is that this is not the first time the suspect has broken into the Metro Centre nor is it the first time she has been arrested, processed by the SAPS and subsequently released due to a lack of evidence. In the most recent incident, which occurred last month, the same alleged serial robber stole 30 hard drives from the Group Legal and Development Planning Departments.
 
It cannot be that the nerve centre of service delivery in the City is continuously targeted by a single criminal, who when arrested then evades prosecution by the State’s criminal justice system.
 
The suspect, who clearly has a penchant for the City’s computer hardware, has on several occasions evaded prosecution for similar alleged crimes due to a lack of evidence. This is both alarming and frustrating, as it shows deep inefficiencies in the National Government’s criminal justice system, and it hampers our deliberate efforts as the Multi-Party Government to build a safe and secure city - a priority of this administration.
 
As the Multi-Party Government we will be reviewing security protocols in order to prevent such an incident from happening again. The safety and security of the Metro Centre must stand as a symbol of the safety and security of the City and its residents.
 
For media queries please contact:
 
Mabine Seabe
084 677 7851
Private Office of the Executive Mayor

07/02/2022​