Wyndham Hartley
13 November 2009
Cape Town — President Jacob Zuma yesterday became the first South African head of state to acknowledge that crime in SA was the most violent in the world while justifying changes to the law on the use of lethal force in the National Assembly.
Opposition leaders who have made similar suggestions have been slapped down, particularly by former president Thabo Mbeki , who insisted that there was no qualitative difference between crime in SA and elsewhere in the world.
Zuma, responding during presidential question time to a query from Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard about the recent spate of civilians being shot by police, said that when dealing with crime it had to be noted that SA was different because of the violence that accompanied crime.
"Crime in SA is more violent than anywhere in the world. Here they kill," Zuma said. He was speaking in the context of mooted changes to section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which governs how lethal force can be used by police and legally armed civilians.
Zuma was asked whether or not police were sufficiently well trained to make split-second decisions about when they could or could not use their firearms.
He said section 49 would be changed early next year but he was not aware of the content of the amendments. He stressed there was a need to fight crime and that it was clear that when South African criminals were cornered they killed to escape. At issue was a need to limit the number of police officers who were killed in the line of duty.
"None here in Parliament can refute that police are in a horrendous situation," Zuma said.
When he addressed a meeting of police station commanders recently he did not give police licence to shoot outside the law, he said. He had told them the government was seeking to strengthen the hand of the police.
He also admitted that while police had been trained about the provisions of the law governing lethal force "that training needs to be improved".
Section 49 at present provides that police may shoot in defence of themselves and others.
Also, if a suspect is reasonably suspected of committing serious violent crime, they can shoot to stop the suspect escaping. It is understood that the changes will be technical and there will be no wholesale ticket for police to shoot under any circumstances.
In response to a question on Zimbabwe, Zuma indicated that SA's position was largely unchanged.
He said that problems between the parties in Zimbabwe would be engaged in terms of the mandate given to SA by the Southern African Development Community.
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Police in the US are not trained in how to shoot effectively in close quarters life threat situations. That's a fact, and supported by a mis rate of more than 80% in gunfights.
No doubt that or similar conditions exist in SA.
With an emphasis on training on how to shoot in real life threat situations, plus an emphasis on the responsibilities that go with the job of a peace officer, would do much to make new legislation moot. (See http://www.pointshooting.com/iwin.htm for an article on How 2 Shoot 2 Kill More effectively)
It probably is a money savings ploy.
Giving anyone the authority to act without responsibility, seems to be a bit irresponsible.
Congratulations to Commandant Bheki Cele. That is the right step and action to the right directions. You must enforce law and order with out any fear for Human Rights whatsover. If those in the human rights arena want to bark, they should first tell the criminals,burglars, and armed robbers to desist from attacking peaceful citizens. As the saying goes, "A strong illness needs a powerful cure"
Bheki Cele comes across as an ignorant and incompetent thug, a criminal with power! South African society needs to be healed from the generations of destruction caused by the racist and criminal invaders still occupying African space.
Until fundamental land, economic and social problems are solved favorably for African people, the more police violence will ONLY INCREASE VIOLENCE in South Africa!
South Africa needs LESS VIOLENCE not more violence, from police thugs or from criminals!
All law-abiding citizens in SA would welcome a more efficient police force and a drastic reduction in crime. But Cele is saying irresponsible things here. First get the police force trained and modernized before creating the impression that policemen can shoot left right and centre. If Cele feels strongly about the low value of life, then rather bring back the death penalty and let a proper court decide when a life can be taken away. As things stand now, even if the police manages to arrest a perpetrator, things seem to go very wrong after that. Very few criminals actually get arrested, the judicial system is not streamlined enough and if the criminal eventually gets a jail sentence, he is stuffed into an overcrowded jail where there seems to be very little chance of rehabilitation. This whole thing is much more complex to solve than simply giving a "shoot to kill" instruction. Cele is making the police more vulnerable which will add to their already high levels of stress. Above all, SA cannot afford to become synonymous with a jungle environment.
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