On Friday, an individual alleged to be a member of the notorious West Gang was shot and killed during a confrontation with police in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal. The police were en route to visit a residence in the area following an earlier incident where officers had been shot at.
Unfortunately, as they made their way, the officers were involved in a car accident. While attending to this collision, they were reportedly approached by gang members, which led to a violent gun battle. Several gang members managed to flee the scene, while one succumbed to injuries, as reported by broadcaster eNCA.
KZN has witnessed a surge in violent confrontations between law enforcement and alleged criminals in recent months. Reports indicate that at least 37 suspects have been shot and killed by police in the past month alone, with 28 of these incidents taking place in KZN.
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Since April, a total of 68 alleged criminals have been involved in standoffs resulting in gunfire exchanges with police.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has addressed concerns about the perceived heavy-handedness of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
He emphasized that officers are often compelled to defend themselves when attempting to arrest heavily armed criminals. “Our mandate is to bring perpetrators to justice, but in many cases, police officers encounter heavy gunfire, leaving them with no option but to protect themselves and the communities they serve,” said Masemola.
However, this spike in violent altercations has drawn criticism from various quarters. Mary De Haas, a KZN violence monitor and social justice advocate, blamed the incidents on failures within the police and crime intelligence.
She argued that the killings are reminiscent of apartheid-era tactics and questioned the effectiveness of current crime intelligence operations. “If the police were functioning properly, there wouldn’t be so many armed criminals around. Crime intelligence should be able to pre-empt these situations and prevent such shootouts from happening,” she told SABC News.
