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”.

Lebeya was speaking during a media briefing to outline progress and take stock of milestones achieved during the first quarter of financial year 2024/2025.

‘…We note that the fight against national priority offences remains an ongoing challenge that requires sustained commitment and collaboration.

‘The DPCI recapitulates its commitment to work diligently to address the evolving threat and bring those who engage in criminality to justice. The DPCI shall at all times continue to enforce the law of the Republic without fear, favour or prejudice.

‘At the end of the last financial year, the DPCI was carrying 18 461 cases involving 752 712 charges with the value of R1 026 817 012 597.38. Of these cases, 5 616 involving 11 972 a
ccused [natural persons] were serving before the various courts in the country, while 1 788 were receiving attention by the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA] in order to decide on prosecution or otherwise,’ he said.

Lebeya noted that the DPCI has made ‘significant inroads in apprehending individuals… thus ensuring accountability and justice for the victims’.

The arrested suspects are alleged to have been involved in crimes including serious corruption; fraud; money laundering; police killings; cash-in-transit robberies; illegal mining; damage to essential infrastructure and crimes against the State.

‘A total number of 673 suspects, representing 637 natural persons and 36 juristic persons, were secured before the various courts in the country. Of these natural persons, 489, which is 77%, are South Africans while 148, which is 23%, are foreign nationals.

‘Of the 673 suspects, the Serious Organised Crime Investigation secured 370, the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation secured 234, while the Serious C
orruption Investigation secured 69 suspects.

‘Most of the arrests were effected in Gauteng province with 167; KwaZulu-Natal province with 114; North West province with 92; Mpumalanga province with 57 and Eastern Cape province with 56 suspects,’ Lebeya said.

The DPCI head added that not only were arrests made, convictions were secured against some 506 accused.

‘Of these convictions, 262 accused persons, inclusive of 12 juristic persons, were sentenced, while the balance of 244 convicts, inclusive of 15 juristic persons, are to be sentenced on dates after the quarter under review. Of the 262 sentenced natural persons, 173 are South Africans while 77 are foreign nationals.

‘To ensure that crime does not pay, 77 court orders were granted in relation to the assets associated with crime. These make the total recorded successes on arrests, convictions and attachment of assets to 1256,’ he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency