The recent donation of 24 vehicles by the General Motors Company is expected play a vital role in training members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to fight cross-border crime in the Southern African region.

The Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula, and senior police officials recently received the vehicles on behalf of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (Sarpcco), a regional policing body, comprising representation from Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.

The organisation is committed to the promotion and strengthening of cross-border crime strategies between member states in the region. The vehicles will be used for a Sarpcco pilot training programme, in which 24 candidates from the SADC region are to be trained in the logistics of cross-border operations, as well as activities aimed at curbing the distribution of illegal firearms.

According to a statement issued by the SAPS, these candidates will ultimately have a complete understanding of the control of cross-border firearm trafficking, in addition to the methods to be used for firearm destruction procedures.

In the process, they will be trained to implement safe and effective ways to carry out such operations successfully.

Although no immediate comment on the programme could be obtained from the SAPS Directorate in Limpopo, the province is expected to play a prominent role in the cross border training programme, due to its strategic geographic location within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.