Mongezi Koko3 July 2025 | 8:28

Operation Shanela stop-and-search: Clashes break out between police, motorists in Roodepoort

Officers stopped cars, delivery bikes and taxis on Thursday morning, with one driver refusing to produce an identity document (ID), claiming it violated his rights, while others complied.

Operation Shanela stop-and-search: Clashes break out between police, motorists in Roodepoort

A stop-and-search operation under the banner of Operation Shanela, where officers stopped cars, delivery bikes, and taxis n Roodepoort on 3 July 2025. Picture: Mongezi Koko/EWN

JOHANNESBURG - Clashes have broken out between police and motorists in Roodepoort as Gauteng authorities intensify stop-and-search operations under the banner of Operation Shanela.

Officers stopped cars, delivery bikes and taxis on Thursday morning, with one driver refusing to produce an identity document (ID), claiming it violated his rights, while others complied.

The weekday operation — led by Acting Provincial Commissioner Mbuso Khumalo — aims to stamp the State’s authority and bring down crime in the area.

The Roodepoort Police Station became the staging ground for this latest crime-fighting push, with police, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Home Affairs officials, and even local clergy joining the briefing.

Multi-disciplinary teams fan out through the area, pulling over vehicles, checking licences, and verifying identities, an effort police said is necessary to root out illegal activity.

Last week alone, similar operations netted over 80 arrests for drunk driving in Gauteng.

On Thursday, tensions boiled over with some resisting police demands, but the operation continued unabated, with officers vowing to keep the pressure on.