KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has warned that police will take a zero-tolerance approach to crime this festive season.
He was speaking at the launch of the Festive Season and Safety Month plan in Hammarsdale where anti-fighting operations in the province will be intensified.
The campaign for this year’s safety season is ‘Leaving no one behind in our journey towards building a crime-free KwaZulu-Natal. It is aimed at fighting the scourge of crime in the province.
High levels of murder, rape and kidnapping have been reported in the latest SAPS statistics for the province. Between April and June this year, more than 1 500 people were murdered and over 1 800 rape cases were reported.
Inanda police station continues to record the most rapes and murders nationally.
Police say more young people are being drawn into crime. Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal Lt. Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says, “We want to discourage such behavior we hope and pray that the communities and the parents are going to control their children because for us it pains us when we get into a crime scene and there is a shoot-out because of these youngsters the youngsters tend not to appreciate life in general and when they take drugs they don’t fear anything they kill you, the police officer for no reason that’s our biggest problem when we confront them and there is a shoot-out.”
Several officers have lost their lives while fighting crime in the province. The Safer Festive campaign is also on a drive for communities to trust and work together with police.
KwaZulu Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube says, “There are several police that have been shot and killed and killed during raids and arrests, and we are certain that we cannot afford to have any more officers dying because they are trying to protect lives and make our province and our country safer.”
Law enforcement agencies and community policing forums have also been given 95 vehicles to carry out their work.
“We have been struggling and needing resources and we are so happy that finally we have the tools that can enable us to do our work properly and successfully,” says Mabutho Mtshali, Chairperson of the CPF.
Law enforcement will also have additional deployments to several hotspots in the province this festive season.
Video: Festive Season Campaign – KZN launches festive season, safety month programme:
