Trigger-happy cops a worry

English dictionaries define the common phrase “take no prisoners” as being determined, aggressive or even ruthless in pursuit of one’s goals.

But, it seems that, when it comes to the cops in KwaZulu-Natal, that is literally what they do when pursuing violent criminals.

KZN provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has many fans on social media as he conducts what seems like a war against the thugs.

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In the past four days, nine suspects have been killed in various shootouts with the cops, bringing the “bad guy” death toll in the past three months to more than 40.

Who shot first?

Mkhwanazi is unapologetic, saying police are tasked with “bringing perpetrators to justice”.

He said police only shoot when fired at first. Of course, who is going to argue with him? Dead men tell no tales, after all.

Mkhwanazi claims that, in the same three-month period, police had “arrested over 35 000 suspects who did not fight with the police”.

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Violence monitors, though, have expressed concern that the “shoot to kill” policy apparently being followed by the cops amounts to summary execution and smacks of “hit squads”.

Innocent people may have been killed and the shootouts are reminiscent of the apartheid era, they argue.

Ordinary South Africans, though, will not quibble with that, because crime – and especially the violent kind – has got out of hand… mainly because throughout much of the country, there are no consequences.

Who is the victim?

The KZN cops are unlikely to change soon, after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu effectively rubber-stamped their actions this week.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mchunu warned criminals that “a shot fired at one officer… is a declaration of war against the state and we will treat it as such”.

Perhaps we need fighting words… but when police trigger fingers are unconstrained, how safe are the rest of us?

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