KwaZulu-Natal South African Police Service (SAPS) has been criticised for the recent shootouts. Picture: Phill Magakoe
Police officers who have to deal with hardened criminals say that they were often met with bullets even before they can approach or arrest suspects.
The KwaZulu-Natal police came under the spotlight recently because of the number of suspects that have been killed.
At least 40 suspects have been shot dead since April, including more than 20 in July alone.
Two police officers from Durban, who asked not to be named because they were not allowed to speak to the media, told the Sunday Tribune of some of their experiences.
One of them said it was not their intention to kill suspects. “No police officer wakes up, plans to go out and shoot suspects,” he said.
He said they were met with many challenges when they went on operations to arrest criminal suspects.
“Sometimes members in the community alert criminals and by the time we get to where the suspect is we are met with bullets. We have to be prepared at all times. Criminals were armed and ready to fight us,” he said.
He said most of suspects usually hide in the informal settlements and they work in groups.
The officer said while they had limited ammunition, the criminals did not.
“It is often a challenge when we find ourselves in a position where we have to defend ourselves because criminals just shoot,” he said.
Another police officer said when they have to arrest the criminals, it becomes difficult because some community members try to block them or defend the alleged suspect.
He said another problem was that the police were no longer respected and feared which was why people took advantage of them.
“We also have a problem of foreign nationals who are more rebellious and hostile towards us than the South African citizens,” said the police officer.
He said it was not easy for them to just retaliate when it came to the suspects.
“There are serious consequences should investigations reveal that we shouldn’t have used our guns.
“When we retaliate it’s because that is the only choice we have. I have lost colleagues at the hands of criminal suspects and it is a difficult thing to experience. You just do not know how to deal with it,” he said.
Earlier this year police killed nine suspects in a shoot-out in Mariannhill. The suspects were allegedly terrorising the community.
Colonel Muzi Thwala, a station commander at the Mariannhill police station, said since that shoot-out in April there has been a difference in the community. He said when police go out, their intention is to prevent crime and arrest suspects.
“These suspects start shooting the minute they see us. I can tell you that there is no police officer in Mariannhill who wakes up and decides to go and kill suspects. Our intention is to arrest them,” said Thwala.
He urged criminals to surrender to the police instead of resisting which could result in someone dying.
Thwala said that it is very easy for someone who has not experienced what police officers have to face when they encounter criminals to say that police were going around shooting people.
It is also easy for people to criticise the police when they have not been forced to leave their homes because of criminals, he said.
“When you have not seen your spouse being raped in front of you, or your children being killed it is easy to criticise the police when they are trying to do their job,” said Thwala.
He said people should ask themselves who should die in a shoot-out.
“Should it be a police officer or the person who is terrorising the community?” he asked.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) commended the KZN police involved in the recent shoot-out in Durban where five suspects were killed after opening fire on the police.
Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya said that they reject any criticism from those who have labelled the actions of police as violent.
“It is disheartening that these same critics remain silent when our police officers are killed or are quick to blame police for the presence of violent crime in our society,” said Ngwenya.