KZN unveils grand plan to curb crime and announces back pay for izinduna

The KZN executive council has committed to intensify the battle against cross-border crime and the elimination of illegal guns as part of its anti-crime mobilisation.

That is one of the decisions taken during Wednesday's provincial executive council meeting.

Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said this was part of the anti-crime operation she announced during her state of the province address after a surge in gruesome killings, murders and gender-based violence in the province.

“The operation will start in hotspots areas and will involve huge community mobilisation against crime as a first pillar to reverse the crime trend in the province and thwart the network operations of criminals. The government is concerned at the brazenness of criminals who are terrorising communities in Mariannhill, uMkhanyakude and many other areas,” she said.

She invited communities — especially from “hotspots” like Mariannhill, Clermont, KwaMashu and Umkhanyakude — as well as the private sector to work with law enforcement on the campaign.

“The law enforcement agencies will target illegal guns and gun shops. We are also calling for tighter control of legal guns which end up in the wrong hands. Crime has taken a shape of extreme brutality and government invites everyone in society to take a stand against crime,” she said.

Dube-Ncube also announced the plan to tackle cross-border crime as well as deal with police officials who use their influence to help criminals.

“Crime perpetuated by people who then hide in neighbouring countries and provinces will receive attention and more operations will target the dens of these criminal syndicates and their handlers, starting this Sunday in uMkhanyakude.

“Minister of police Bheki Cele, members of the executive council and community leaders will identify problems and those police who are not helping in the fight against crime,” she said.

The executive council has already written to President Cyril Ramaphosa requesting the assistance of the national justice and crime prevention security cluster, she said.

The premier provided updates on her meeting with traditional leaders in the province, particularly izinduna (chiefs) on Friday. She said the meeting was to discuss the province’s response to the murder of amakhosi and izinduna and updates on the process to resolve the long-standing issue of back pay for izinduna.

She said the office of the premier, together with the provincial treasury and Cogta, had had several engagements with the national government requesting funds to fulfil that obligation to izinduna and they had finally reached an agreement.

“After many years of hard work to resolve this matter we are happy to announce today that izinduna are going to receive their back pay. We have finalised the list of qualifying izinduna and calculated on a varying and cascading scale what is due to each one.

“We are now ready to start disbursing the funds,” she said.

She said the finance MEC Peggy Nkonyeni would announce the budget for the back pay when she delivers the provincial budget but confirmed that it was coming from the National Treasury.

She said all qualifying izinduna, including the families of those who have since passed away, would benefit. KZN has about 2,229 izinduna, the most in the country.

On the murder of traditional leaders, Dube-Ncube said: “The killing of traditional leaders and izinduna is an attack on the state as it threatens to destabilise what is a critical institution to the stability and order in our society.

“It is also a symptom of the poison that has entered the core of our societal values where crime has become the order of the day and where murders go unresolved.”

As of January 2022, police were investigating 51 murder cases dating back to 2012.

“To date 30 people have been arrested while 18 cases are pending in court. In two of these cases, the accused were found guilty. Six remain undetected,” she said. “Among the possible motives behind the killings of traditional leaders has been the struggle for chieftaincy, land disputes, family disputes and even taxi-related disputes.

“We have asked the security cluster to explore the feasibility of setting up specialised units such as a traditional leaders safety unit, whose task will be to look after the safety of traditional leaders especially those whose assessments reveal a security threat.”

She said the KZN's department of community safety and liaison was also establishing the community safety intervention unit which will focus on the safety of amakhosi and izinduna.

“We cannot allow KZN to be the capital of hitmen and hired guns as if we are a lawless republic. [We] must use this crisis as a springboard in the intensified war against crime.”

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.