Government says with so many police officers continuing to lose their lives at the hands of criminals, it can not be business as usual.
"This is unacceptable," said Deputy President Paul Mashatile on Thursday, as he engaged Members of Parliament (MPs) in the National Assembly on matters related to his delegated responsibilities.
The country's second-in-command provided an update on measures taken to prevent further loss of life considering the incidences of exchange of fire and fatal shootings between members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and alleged criminals.
The Deputy President spoke at the SAPS National Commemoration Day at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Sunday where government honoured the 39 women and men in blue who died in the line of duty between April 2023 to March 2024. Their names have been engraved on the SAPS memorial wall at the Union Buildings as a symbol of gratitude for the sacrifices made in serving and protecting the nation.
Yesterday, he cited Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's ministerial statement released last week which reported that Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape currently carry 73% of crime levels in South Africa.
"The gravity of these crimes alone, including extortion, is of serious concern to us over and above their concentration," he added.
The Minister outlined the State's approach to fighting crime, which includes initiating the signing of cooperative agreements with provincial and local governments with operational plans seeking to integrate resources against crime.
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"Equally, Minister Mchunu and General [Fannie] Masemola have confirmed to me that the Police Operational Plan currently being rolled out in Cape Town will be replicated in all metros in the country," he told Parliamentarians.
The plan includes partnering with Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and private security companies.
"Honourable Speaker, having appreciated the magnitude of the levels of criminality in the country, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, the National Commissioner of Police issued National Instruction 1 of 2016 on the use of force in effecting an arrest, to regulate the use of force by police officials during arrests.
"This instruction clearly sets out the legal requirements that must be followed to ensure that the conduct of a police official is lawful and reasonable. The police are required to prevent, combat, and investigate crime; maintain public order; protect and secure the Republic's inhabitants and property; and uphold and enforce the law, as outlined in Section 205 of the country's Constitution."
However, fighting crime should not only be the responsibility of SAPS alone. "Ourselves in this House as well as communities are expected to work with the police to fight criminal activities and help to identify criminals."
The Deputy President told his colleagues that criminals are people who live in communities and residents know where they live.
"We urge all community members to inform the police of criminals' whereabouts to enable them to promptly respond and arrest all criminal elements in our communities to avoid the current shoot-out between police and criminals.
"In this regard, we call on communities to work together in strengthen CPFs."
