LISTEN | Mashatile says officers must use their guns when criminals open fire

Acting President Paul Mashatile says criminals have become brazen, undermining the state to the point where 39 police officers were killed on duty in the 2023/24 financial year.

“Police minister Senzo Mchunu and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola cannot conduct business as usual when we lose so many police officers to criminals,” Mashatile said .

Listen to Mashatile's message:

Mashatile echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s “fight fire with fire” approach in the war against criminals.

“Police officers must not die with their service firearms in their holsters when criminals refuse to surrender and start firing at police. When a shoot-out ensues between police and criminals, police have a duty to protect their lives, as well as those of their colleagues and all community members.

“You [police] must show criminals that you are in charge. You must act decisively, using proportionate force in line with the threat you are facing, according to legal provisions. You must intensify your efforts to guarantee that you defeat crime,” Mashatile said.

Last Friday Ramaphosa praised police who shot dead criminals in a shoot-out in Cape Town.

Mkhwanazi recently said those with gun licences should fight and defend themselves when criminals attack. He said should criminals seize their weapons this would contribute to the scourge of illegal arms in the country, in the hands of those wishing to commit crimes.

Mashatile urged communities to work with police, saying fighting crime should not only be the responsibility of the police.

“Criminals live in our communities, and residents know where they live. We urge all community members to inform the police of the whereabouts of criminals to enable them to promptly arrest all criminal elements in our communities.” 

Mashatile was speaking on Sunday during the annual National Police Commemoration Day ceremony honouring those who died with their boots on.

“An assault on police is a direct attack on the state, and we must take action against individuals who perpetrate the crime, which is equal to treason.”

There have been recent reports of criminals demanding “protection fees” from vulnerable people, some going as far as forcing mourners to pay extortion fees to bury their loved ones.

Armed criminals have also been entering churches and schools to strip people of their valuables.

“Minister Mchunu, we must make sure the police have enough tools to support their counterattack against criminals. We also need to find a balance to address the major issue of an increasing population, which police recruits simply cannot keep up with,” Mashatile said.

Those in attendance included Mchunu, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola, minister of defence and military veterans Angie Motshekga, and minister of correctional services Pieter Groenewald.