By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, has assured South Africans that the Hawks, as the directorate is known, are committed to the mandate of “investigating, preventing and combating national priority offences”.
During a media briefing on Sunday, 25 August, Lebeya provided an update on the Hawks’ progress and milestones in the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
He emphasised the ongoing nature of the fight against serious crimes, highlighting the need for sustained commitment and collaboration.
“The battle against national priority offences is a continuous challenge that requires dedication and cooperative efforts.”
“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation remains steadfast in its mission to address emerging threats and ensure that those involved in criminal activities are brought to justice. We will continue to enforce the law of the republic without fear, favour or prejudice,” said Lebeya.
Lebeya shared that at the end of the last financial year, the Hawks were handling 18 461 cases involving a staggering 752 712 charges with a combined value of over R1 trillion.
Of these cases, 5 616 involving 11 972 accused individuals are currently before various courts, while 1 788 cases were under review by the National Prosecuting Authority to determine the appropriate course of action.
The Hawks has made notable progress in arresting individuals linked to serious crimes such as corruption, fraud, money laundering, police killings, cash-in-transit robberies, illegal mining, damage to essential infrastructure and crimes against the state.
“Over the past quarter, a total of 673 suspects, including 637 individuals and 36 organisations were brought before the courts. Among these individuals, 489 (77%) were South Africans, while 148 (23%) were foreign nationals,” said Lebeya.
The arrests were carried out across various provinces, with Gauteng leading with 167 suspects, followed by KZN with 114, North West with 92, Mpumalanga with 57 and the Eastern Cape with 56.
In addition to these arrests, convictions were secured against 506 accused individuals. Of these, 262 individuals, including 12 organisations, were sentenced, while the remaining 244 convicts, including 15 organisations, are awaiting sentencing. Notably, 173 of the sentenced individuals were South Africans, and 77 were foreign nationals.
To further combat crime, 77 court orders were granted in relation to the seizure of assets connected to criminal activities. These efforts contributed to a total of 1 256 recorded successes in arrests, convictions, and asset attachments during the quarter.