The Independent Policing Union of South Africa (Ipusa) is urging Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu to expedite police reforms in response to two incidents, a mass shooting at a tavern in the West that resulted in eight deaths, and discovery of a military facility in Mpumalanga, where 95 Libyans were arrested for illegal entry into the country.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, on his visit to the site on July 27, said the men were in the country illegally as there were violations picked up from their visa applications and are expected to be deported once police investigations have been wrapped up.
The second incident took place in Extension 13, Kanana, near Klerksdorp, where eight people were shot and killed in the early hours of Saturday, and 13 people were injured.
North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said the suspects arrived at the tavern allegedly looking for Basotho nationals, before randomly firing shots.
“The suspects then took the CCTV system, cash from the till, and the snooker table. The suspects further robbed patrons of their cell phones and fled the scene.”
Mokgwabone said that four suspects, all foreign nationals from Lesotho, were arrested on Sunday in connection with the Kanana township shooting incident.
Ipusa president Bethuel Nkuna said the two incidents underscore how crime in the country has reached an unacceptable level, with the police now acting as passive observers.
According to Nkuna, the latest report from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) suggests a high probability that similar incidents could occur again this year.
Nkuna said around 85 lives are lost daily in the country due to criminal activities, occurring in entertainment venues, homes, and workplaces.
“Vulnerable people such as women and children, and people with disabilities, are targeted by criminals for various reasons relating to crime. Gender-based violence and femicide’s are on the increase.”
He said car jackings and kidnappings for ransom purposes are also on the rise.
“These kinds of contact crimes instil so much fear in our people to such an extent that those who can afford to pay for these services are joining others in sourcing the services of private security.”
He said the discovery of Libyan nationals at the military facility is a “terrible indictment” on the police efforts to fight crime.
“Even if you deport them, through porous borders, this criminal will return,” he said.
Nkuna slammed police leadership for failing to adequately protect citizens, arguing that the current policing model is ineffective in combating crime, as evidenced by the fact that it took months for the police to discover the military camp.
“We must be grateful that our communities brought it to the attention of the authorities, for the police to act. We also want to see police stations revamped and technology improved to help fight crime.”
Nkuna suggested that every police station should conduct its own daily Operation Shanela to tackle organised crime across the country.
“South Africa is increasingly becoming a haven for transnational organised crime, which includes terrorism, and by the look of things now, it's clear that South African Police Services (SAPS) is not prepared to deal with this kind of criminality.”
He urged Mchunu to take immediate action to restore the SAPS’s image and enhance its ability to combat crime by implementing the necessary police reforms.
IOL