Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu. Picture: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Lulama Zenzile
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says communities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) want the police to take decisive action against criminals “in whatever manner” as he revealed that just over 100 suspects were killed in one year.
Mchunu, alongside officials from the South African Police Service (Saps), launched the KZN festive season safety campaign on Thursday.
The event also marked the signing of a cooperation agreement between Saps, KZN government, and the eThekwini Municipality.
In his speech, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu highlighted that KZN ranks among the top four provinces in South Africa for criminal activity.
The minister pointed out that 42% of all reported crimes in the province come from the eThekwini metro area.
“It is a fact that the concentration of crime is in eThekwini,” Mchunu said.
He stated that the high crime rates present a significant threat to KZN’s economic future.
“There are crimes that are performed directly to destroy the economy by way of this thing called construction mafias, extortion and direct robberies to business properties.”
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According to Mchunu, these crimes have discouraged investment in KZN, ultimately “leaving a field of unemployment” in the province.
“There’s no company that will allow itself to get established here… only to be faced with criminality every day.
“It’s a risk. It’s already happening in some parts of this province where [businesses] think and talk about going away, leaving this province.”
Furthermore, Mchunu emphasised the cooperation agreement would strengthen collaboration between the three spheres of government, ensuring more efficient use of resources, and improved policing.
The agreement will also ensure a stronger fight against crime in KZN’s hotspot areas, including eThekwini and Pietermaritzburg.
The minister stated that residents of KZN support law enforcement taking firm action against criminals.
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“They want them flushed out in whatever manner. People now don’t care how you flush out as long as they are flushed out,” he continued.
“As long as they [criminals] are said to be on the receiving end from our fight against them, people will be happy all the time and for that reason they want us to be stronger.
“They want us to be much more resolved they want us to be much more confrontation to criminals and ultimately they want us to defeat them.”
Mchunu has previously defended the police amid criticism of officers being “trigger-happy” during shootouts that resulted in the deaths of suspects.
KZN police have killed at least 107 criminals in shootouts between July 2023 and July this year.
Mchunu revealed this in a recent parliamentary response.
According to the minister, only one police officer was arrested in connection with such killings.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KZN has criticised the provincial police, saying the killing of criminal suspects was not a solution to escalating crime levels.
The provincial party pointed out that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) reported that 108 suspects were killed by police in KZN in the 2022/2023 financial year.
South Africa as a whole recorded 364 deaths in the same period.
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“While it is common knowledge that suspected criminals in our province do not spare the police, the high number killed remains a cause for concern.
“Deadly force by Saps should not be regarded as an acceptable way of confronting KZN’s escalating crime levels. Instead, stakeholders should tread carefully as it may impact public trust in law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” DA National Council of Provinces (NCOP) member Billy Mzamo said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mzamo said the DA called for the implementation of body cameras to monitor police actions during confrontations with suspects.
“Cameras don’t lie. Their purpose is two-fold – to ensure that there is no police brutality or police over-exertion of authority and to review footage and establish where more Saps training and resources are needed.”
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