Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) who use lethal force when confronted by suspected criminals are not trigger-happy. Rather, this should describe criminals who were “shooting to kill” in communities.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on Tuesday reiterated his support for police officers who had shot and killed suspects, saying they had to survive.
Mchunu said the ANC welcomed recent developments, where police responded by gunning down suspected criminals.
He said it was crucial to remember that police were humans with their own families.
Mchunu’s statement comes amid public debate on shootouts when criminals are killed, and on whether this amounts to police being “trigger-happy”.
“We can’t be complaining about everything. You complain about the high rates of crime and condemn the police for not acting. They defend themselves when they act and prevent them by shooting at them. We come forward, but we say nothing about communities that, from time to time, fall victim to such killing gangs”, said Mchunu.
He said they would, however, meet with groups who were concerned about the killings by police because South Africa was a democratic country.
“We want to send a message out there to gangs and individuals: if you shoot at police, you must not expect that police will not respond. They need to defend themselves. Police are humans, they are not stones. They are fathers and mothers, husbands and wives.
“They can’t just give themselves up to criminals. They need to survive so they can defend the community against another criminal tomorrow,” the minister said.
Mchunu was welcoming a sting operation in Khayelitsha on Monday, where eight cash-in-transit robbery suspects were shot and killed.
[(Photo: GCIS via GovernmentZA/flickr]