In a series of violent confrontations on Friday, KwaZulu-Natal police have killed several suspected criminals in separate shootouts across the province.
In the past three months, more than 40 suspected criminals have been killed in the province, with Friday's incident resulting in five deaths in two separate scenes.
In the first incident, the KZN Provincial Stabilization Team, which is part of Operation Vala uMgodi, acted on intelligence regarding the whereabouts of three suspects linked to at least 10 murder cases in the province. When police arrived at the identified house in KwaDlangezwa, they were met with gunfire from the suspects. The police returned fire, fatally wounding all three suspects.
ATM bombing incident
The suspects were also alleged to have been involved in an ATM bombing incident in Esikhaleni, which left one suspect fatally wounded on Thursday. At least two firearms were found in their possession, and the crime scene was still being searched for more evidence when Daily Maverick spoke with the police.
In a second incident, members of the KZN police, including the Hawks and private security, cornered two suspects believed to belong to the notorious West Gang that has been terrorizing the community. This was not the first time police had engaged in a shootout with the gang. Firearms and ammunition were recovered from the scene.
In addition, a former South African National Defence Force member was killed in a gunfight with KZN police in Pietermaritzburg on 21 July. He was wanted for several violent crimes, including the murder of a police officer in April.
KZN is a volatile province known for its contract killings and the presence of trained assassins, particularly in the taxi industry, political sphere, tender and job disputes in municipalities, and business conflicts.
Read more: Assassination nation – political contract killings escalate in KZN as hitmen are offered ‘job after job’
Organised hits have become commonplace, with 213 political assassinations recorded in the last seven years of 418 nationwide since 2000. Of these, 118 occurred in KZN.
While the police have a duty to protect the public and apprehend criminals, the high number of fatalities raises concerns about the proportionality of the force used by law enforcement.
KwaZulu-Natal police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi warned that suspects who challenge the authority of the state by shooting at police officers will be met with force proportional to their actions.
“Police investigate to arrest suspects,” stated Mkhwanazi. “They don't investigate to shoot and kill. However, if suspects shoot at the police, the police will not hesitate; they will protect their lives and the lives of citizens and respond proportionally to the threat to save lives and the community members who are innocent in the process.”
Ongoing Saps challenges
The shootouts highlight the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in combating violent crime in the province.
Last week, Mkhwanazi said that in just more than three months, they have arrested more than 35,000 suspects, recovered almost a thousand guns, several thousand rounds of ammunition, nearly 2 tons of drugs worth millions, stopped five planned cash-in-transit robberies in advance, and recovered almost 700 stolen and hijacked cars.
Read more: Bheki Cele: 109 police officers murdered in past 11 months
As investigations into these incidents progress, it is crucial that the police ensures that the use of lethal force is justified and in line with established protocols. Additionally, efforts should be made to address the root causes of crime and prevent such confrontations from occurring in the first place.
IPID, which is mandated to investigate the police, is overwhelmed with only 176 investigators to monitor 180,000 police officers.
IPID Executive Director Jennifer Dikeledi Ntlatseng admitted in an interview with Sunday Times in April that it was “worrying” that cops were “short-circuiting the criminal justice system”. She said that while there are many officers of integrity, others “are involved with the very same criminals and the best way is to eliminate them and destroy evidence”. DM