Drug lords blamed for spike in crime in KwaZulu-Natal

Rotate police officers to stop them getting comfortable in communities to a point that they get involved with criminals.

That’s the view of MEC for Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sboniso Duma, who was speaking at a crime-fighting imbizo at KwaNdengezi, Durban on Sunday.

The imbizo heard that drug addiction and drug lord wars are the root cause of most violent crimes and mass killings in KwaZulu-Natal according to provincial community policing forums’ (CPF) Dawood Chirwa.

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The provincial government conducted a community mobilisation campaign against crime following a spate of violent crimes including gruesome incidents of multiple murders and gender-based violence (GBV).

Chirwa said drug lords were fighting for territories and used young people who were addicted to drugs to commit crimes and become hitmen.

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Drug lords know that young people who are addicted to drugs are desperate and would do anything for their next fix; they use that to lure young people to commit crimes on their behalf with the promise of free drugs. They fear nothing; they have nothing to lose

Duma said the government will increase surveillance with more police visibility in the community and cameras on roads in crime hotspots like Mariannhill.

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Duma said there was an outcry from Durban communities about police officials who colluded with criminals.

Any police officer who worked with criminals should be in prison. Two police officers from KwaNdengzi police station have been arrested for their involvement in criminal activity.

He said though there were many good law-abiding officers, others who were led by greed got into a life of crime for extra cash.

“We believe that police officers should be rotated to stop officers from getting comfortable in communities to a point that they get involved with criminals. We will not accept the new trend of criminals who are asking small business owners to pay rent for protection from them. The community needs to know that it is only the government that looks after them, not criminals who want to extort money from them.”

Provincial government handed over two park homes which will be used as victim-friendly facilities for victims of GBV at Mariannhill and KwaNdengezi police stations.

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eThekwini Municipality deputy mayor Zandile Myeni added that the municipality will keep its promise of increasing metro police officers’ intake from 200 per annum to 400.

“We are also pleading with you as the community not to hinder the development that the government is providing through vandalism.”