SOUTH AFRICAN police said yesterday they had arrested more than 1,000 people around the commercial capital of Johannesburg since declaring an all out war on crime 11 days ago.
A police spokesman, Sgt Mark Reynolds, said almost half of the 1,187 people arrested in Operation Lynx in the country's crime capital were illegal immigrants.
Some were arrested for car theft, robbery, gambling, fraud and for possessing drugs and unlicensed firearms. Another 286 were charged with public drinking.
Operation Lynx is part of the national crackdown on rampant crime launched by police last week to reassure a population suffering one of the world's highest violent crime rates.
It aims to arrest 10,000 of the country's most wanted criminals within 30 days an average of 333 a day but few public drinkers and petty offenders are among them.
The National Police Commissioner, Mr George Fivaz, said his plan comprised a "sword" a mobile strike force to hunt criminals and a "shield", a programme under which police would "take back and dominate" city streets and rural areas.
He said the operation was the first under annual policing plans required by the new government elected in 1994.
Violent crime is one of the major factors cited in emigration by skilled professionals and in the wariness of foreigners to invest in South Africa.
Police figures show 1.98 million serious crimes were reported in South Africa last year. Half were solved. Reported crimes included 36,888 rapes, 18,983 murders and 66,838 armed robberies.