Durban — Police Minister Bheki Cele says he refuses to bury members of the force who have died at the hands of criminals and called on law enforcement officers to “deal decisively” with criminals.
Cele was speaking at an Imbizo attended by community members from the crime-marred area of Mariannhill, Durban, who came out in their numbers on Thursday.
During the Imbizo held by the police ministry, Cele engaged with the community members in this area, to address their grievances and the police’s response to these crimes.
Other delegates in attendance included KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube; Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka; and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
The event came after Cele visited Desai, Mariannhill, last week on Thursday, following the killing of nine suspects in a shoot-out with the police the previous day.
He said police were hard at work in the area, with 993 people being arrested in the previous financial year.
Cele urged residents to let the law take its course.
“We ask that you make things easy and allow us to work. When we come to arrest you, bring your hands and we will cuff you, but if you bring your gun, then we will also bring ours.”
Cele said police played a key role as a buffer between the communities and criminality. He said that they were accused of being ‘trigger happy’ by crime analysts and other experts, and he called on people to have a one-on-one with the victims of the crimes and to get a clearer understanding of their ordeals and those of the police.
Cele also urged police to “deal decisively” with criminals.
“I do not care where I am taken. If I need to go to the dock, then I will go there. I refuse to go to a scene of a shoot-out between police and criminals and pick up the bodies of the police. I refuse,” he said.
Cele called on the police commissioner to have visible policing, apprehend the remaining criminals left during last week’s shoot-out, and improve the availability of resources for the community police forum.
He called on the eThekwini Municipality to address the environmental design of the area through initiatives, such as cutting down trees which blocked visibility, and the deployment of social workers to assist affected families.
An emotional and teary resident, Agnes Nzimande, said she no longer had a place to call home after she fled her house due to criminal activity.
Nzimande said criminals entered her house while she was inside with four family members and shot and killed her son.
She said her house and cottages she was renting out for an income were severely vandalised and were no longer suitable for occupation, and the family were in desperate need of a home.
Pensioner Caroline Maphumulo, another Desai resident, said her child was shot and killed at their home merely for being enrolled at university.
“My child was not involved in anything sinister but was just a devoted student who had recently secured a job and was due to start shortly. Those heartless criminals just came and killed my child for a senseless reason. “The police have worked very hard and we hope the work they are doing now will breed permanent solutions.”
Premier Dube-Ncube said that most issues raised by the community members from the Imbizo held in April 2023 were addressed. This included the delivery of mobile victim-friendly facilities, with social workers from the Department of Social Development providing a safe space to open up for victims of abuse; delivery of water and electricity in some parts; and delivery of additional resources to help fight crime, such as police vehicles.
She commended the police for their operations and visibility, adding that she hoped they were successful in their work, and implored community members to play an active role in the fight against crime.
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