Patriotic Alliance leader, Gayton McKenzie, intends to meet with the Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, this week, in connection with an ongoing search for Joshlin Smith.

Joshlin, who would be eight years old now, disappeared without a trace from Saldahna Bay two years ago. Her mother and two others are serving life sentences in prison for this.

ALSO READ: Joshlin Smith: Prosecutors praised for blocking traffickers’ appeal bid – Smile 90.4FM

In her honour, McKenzie officially launched the Joshlin Smith Foundation on Sunday, aimed at supporting the search for missing children.

Joshlin’s father, grandmother and siblings were at the launch at the Dial Rock Community Centre in Saldanha Bay.

In his speech, he detailed how the case came to be and his involvement in the searches and investigation into Joshlin’s disappearance. He mentioned multiple engagements he had with those convicted, as well as his issues with the police during the height of the probe.

McKenzie noted that he had hired private detectives for further investigation in this case, suggesting that he’s uncovered new evidence.

He said he recently spoke with former accused, Lourentia “Renz” Lombaard, who he said has expressed her willingness to share more on the incident.

“Renz then said ‘I’m gonna tell the truth where is Joshlin’, that is why I believe Joshlin is still alive… Renz is willing to talk. And Wednesday, I’m going straight to the Minister of Police in cabinet, and I’m gonna tell him ‘my broer, hier’s die evidence dat Renz is besig om te praat’. I’m no longer going through cops,” McKenzie said. [The Afrikaans part in the second last sentence translates to ‘my brother, here is the evidence that Renz is talking’ in English.]

Throughout his speech, McKenzie also criticised others involved in the search or investigation, such as the media and the former DA Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC, Reagan Allen.

In terms of the foundation, McKenzie said he would not be involved in its daily operations but had instead appointed a team of qualified people to run it.

He promised that the foundation would cover the school fees and clothing for Joshlin’s siblings and also promised them a trip to Disneyland.

He further announced that a sports centre would be unveiled at Diazville Primary School, where Joshlin attended.

WATCH: The Joshlin Smith Foundation Launch Live

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola says the authority of the State will prevail over criminality and lawlessness as government intensifies its fight against organised crime through the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support police operations.

Speaking at a joint media briefing at the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) Coordination Centre in Pretoria on Sunday, Masemola said the joint intervention marks a significant step in strengthening the country’s response to violent crime and organised criminal networks.

Masemola was addressing the briefing alongside Chief of the SANDF, Rudzani Maphwanya, as well as the co-chairpersons of NATJOINTS, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili and Lieutenant-General Siphiwe Sangweni.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of SANDF members under Operation Prosper, which will see more than 2,000 soldiers working alongside SAPS over a period of 13 months.

The intervention will focus on crime hotspots across several provinces, including the Free State, Gauteng, North West, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

“These areas have been identified through intelligence and crime analysis as being significantly affected by criminal activity,” Masemola said.

He explained that the intervention aims to create space for police to deal with street-level crime while disrupting organised criminal networks.

“The purpose of this intervention is to provide space to the SA Police Service to deal with both street crime and to disrupt, disable and dismantle organised crime groupings through a coordinated operational framework where the SANDF and SAPS will work together to stabilise crime-affected areas and restore the rule of law in communities where criminal networks have sought to undermine the authority of the State,” he said.

Tackling illicit mining and gang violence

Masemola said South Africa is facing increasingly complex organised crime threats that continue to destabilise communities.

In provinces such as the Free State, Gauteng and North West, organised criminal groups involved in illegal mining continue to exploit abandoned and active mining infrastructure, generating illicit financial flows and fuelling violence between rival groups.

At the same time, gang-related violence in the Western and Eastern Cape and parts of Gauteng has contributed to high levels of murder, extortion, drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal firearms.

“These criminal dynamics are not isolated. They are interconnected and often linked to illegal migration, illicit firearms trafficking, corruption networks and attacks on essential infrastructure.

“The scale, sophistication and persistence of these criminal activities have resulted in this extraordinary and integrated response by government. This is precisely what this joint deployment seeks to achieve,” he said.

Coordinated national response

Masemola said the SANDF will assist SAPS through coordinated deployments, enhanced visibility and targeted enforcement operations in identified hotspots.

Operational coordination will be managed through NATJOINTS, which will oversee intelligence-led planning and cooperation among security agencies and government departments.

Joint Operational Centres have also been established to facilitate coordination between SAPS, SANDF and other law enforcement agencies.

“The objectives of this joint deployment are clear – to stabilise priority crime hotspots, dismantle organised criminal syndicates, restore law and order, and reclaim communities from criminal networks,” Masemola said.

Restoring safety in communities

He said the public can expect increased visibility of security forces, intensified operations against illegal mining and gang activities, and stronger protection of critical infrastructure.

However, Masemola stressed that the intervention is not only about enforcement but also about restoring stability and rebuilding trust between communities and the state.

“Success will therefore be measured not only in arrests or confiscations, but in the reduction of violence, the disruption of criminal networks and the restoration of community confidence,” he said.

Masemola also called on communities to work with law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, saying public safety is a shared national responsibility.

“Working together, we will dismantle criminal networks, reclaim our communities from violence and lawlessness, and restore the sense of safety and dignity that every South African deserves.”

He further urged parents and guardians to take greater responsibility for their children’s behaviour amid growing concerns that young people, including those as young as 13, are becoming involved in criminal activity.

Chief of the SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya said the deployment should not alarm ordinary citizens, but that criminals and lawlessness will not be tolerated. Maphwanya says residents have no reason to fear soldiers and that proper rules of engagement have been established.

Five suspects have been arrested after police in the Western Cape disrupted a planned cash-in-transit robbery during a joint intelligence-driven operation.

The operation was carried out by several South African Police Service (SAPS) units on Friday, 13 March 2026, after Crime Intelligence received information about individuals from different provinces who had travelled to the province to carry out a robbery this weekend.

The suspects were initially identified in Kraaifontein and placed under surveillance from Wednesday, 11 March. On Friday, police observed the group travelling towards the Paarl central business district in a white Toyota Fortuner.

Members of the Winelands Highway Patrol and Maitland Flying Squad were alerted and intercepted the vehicle in Paarl. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a 9mm pistol with no serial number and 14 rounds of ammunition.

Further investigation led police to a residence in Wallacedene in Kraaifontein, where additional firearms and ammunition were discovered. Officers recovered two 9mm pistols, each loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, an AK-47 rifle, 79 rounds of rifle ammunition, 25 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a cellular phone and R8,750 in cash.

Five men, aged between 30 and 39, were arrested. The suspects are from Mqanduli (Eastern Cape), Klerksdorp, Rustenburg, Paarl and Wallacedene.

They face charges including possession of a prohibited firearm, as well as possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The suspects are expected to make their first court appearance in the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 16 March 2026.