KZN police to focus on safety at malls and tourist spots this festive season

Protecting people at tourist spots and those withdrawing money, and preventing business robberies, are among the priorities for police in KwaZulu-Natal this festive season.

KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi visited the Liberty Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.

“In Durban, for example, you would have seen high police visibility on the beachfront because we understand those are the areas that are going to be visited by [many] tourists,” he said.

SAPS was being supported by the Durban metro police.

Police would also crack down on unlicensed liquor establishments and be closely monitoring malls, Mkhwanazi said. 

His visit comes after a police officer was killed during a robbery at the Pavilion Mall.

Mkhwanazi met the management of the uMgungundlovu policing cluster to discuss crime trends in the area.

“We are impressed by what they have been doing so far. As part of the evaluation we decided to come to look at the deployment.”

The district is also home to the Plessislaer police station, which has recorded the highest number of murders.

Mkhwanazi warned people against withdrawing large sums of money from banks, saying in some cases bank employees work in cahoots with criminals. He advised people to use electronic banking facilities.

“Victims end up being followed home and [to] isolated places. Try to avoid using cash.”

TimesLIVE