Police in the crime-infested community of Inanda, north of Durban, got a roasting in front of their bosses on Tuesday.
Fresh from the discovery of five suspected criminals who were hacked to death and left in bushes last month, and three alleged killers who died in a shoot-out with police at the weekend in Bhambayi, community members were enraged and accused police — without proof — of inaction or collusion with criminals.
This was laid bare by about 500 residents who packed a community hall in Amawoti, where KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli called a crime imbizo on Tuesday. The suburb has hogged the top three spots nationally for murder and rape for years.
Three months ago police minister Senzo Mchunu unveiled his crime-combating to-do list as part of a provincial festive season launch in Inanda. At the time Mchunu voiced concern about murders and rapes in the area.
The frustration with criminality came to a head when five men suspected of terrorising the community were found hacked to death near the informal settlement in Inanda, north of Durban.
The arrest of 12 “vigilantes” for the deaths raised the ire of Bhambayi residents, who protested outside court saying police did nothing to prevent the reign of criminals who robbed residents and raped women.
Community activist Blessing Nyuswa said: “We do not trust our police, even if we give them all the information. We have been raising concerns about the dangers of living in our community as early as October last year, but we have not had any luck.”
Another fed-up resident, Zithulele Shandu, questioned why the commander of the notorious Inanda police station was still employed when the policing precinct continued to record high crime rates.
“I come home late in the evening and I get to see the shenanigans of what police get up to. I have always wanted to bring this up with Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Police in Mtshebheni [Inanda] are corrupt to the core,” said Shandu.
He fingered some rogue police members from the station for having a hand in extortion, again without providing proof.
He alleged some of the spaza shops were operated by foreign nationals who are also involved in human trafficking.
“The police are quiet about this, yet they know how young boys from Ethiopia are working there,” said Shandu.
He said the mushrooming of cottages that are rented by people had brought their fair share of problems as landlords don’t vet their tenants.
“What is happening is we get someone settling in the area with a bed and a car. They go out and commit crime and come back to hide here,” he said.
His point was illustrated by the weekend shoot-out between five suspects who were cornered inside a house and fired shots at police. Two suspects evaded arrest and a manhunt is under way.
The suspects are believed to be responsible for the recent murders of four people, including two off-duty policemen and the attempted murder of four others at a tavern in Sundumbili on January 4.
Samke Simelane from the Namibia area of Inanda said the culprits who terrorise the community were known to the public yet no action was taken against them.
“Houses are being broken into. Most of the houses which are targeted are those with DStv. Thugs come in and demand flat screens, cellphones, and if you refuse they don’t waste any time and shoot you,” said Simelane.
She said the crime surge had also been worsened by poor service delivery in the eThekwini municipality.
Another resident, Andile Jali from KwaMashu, called on government to raise police salaries..
“They end up compromising our crime-fighting efforts as they take envelopes,” said Jali.
He also called on the department of correctional services to tighten its grip on inmates.
“Inmates should not have TV sets and cellphones while they are imprisoned because they are the ones who order hits while in the comfort of their prison cells. The inmates should feel the pinch of being detained so they can never offend once released,” said Jali.
Dumisani Nzuza, an unemployed community policing forum volunteer, said he often gets chastised by his wife for risking his life.
“I rely on the government grant and we don’t have any resources to protect ourselves,” said Nzuza.
He said, however, he had no choice but to contribute to fighting crime.
Mkhwanazi said drugs and alcohol were an ongoing challenge for policing in the vast area, with legal liquor outlets outnumbering schools. He said there were 15 prisoners from Inanda who were awaiting trial for murder-related charges.
Socioeconomic factors including poor housing and a lack of basic services contributed to high crime rates.
“It’s the reason people end up getting harmed. People’s houses are not safe and people are unemployed. There are also no street lights,” said Mkhwanazi.
He said while crime stats showed a slight decline in murders — 283 cases from April 2023 to January 2024 compared with 255 cases from April 2024 to January 2025 — serious crime in 17 other categories had spiked.
Ntuli said provincial government departments were attempting to improve crime-prevention interventions. He said the community safety department was providing anti-crime volunteers with airtime to improve communication.
“We are planning something ... The discussions are at an advanced stage,” said Ntuli.
He said this would not be limited to eThekwini but throughout the province and would include equipping volunteers with training.
“While we understand your frustration there should never be an incident like this [the killing of five men in January]. We want to enhance the way we communicate with you. We want to eliminate the possibility of the community taking the law into its own hands,” said Ntuli.
This will include investigating 10111, which has been plagued by complaints, and the launch of a new app to report crime particularly GBV-related offences.
Councillor Mbuyiseni Mkhize said efforts to combat crime were continuing.
“We have already started in Albert Park and we are taking back our recreational parks. We will reclaim eThekwini from the stranglehold of criminals,” said Mkhize.
He also called on business people to work with the city to curb the scourge of crime.
“Government alone cannot create jobs. Let’s create jobs. When jobs are created, foreign nationals should not be given priority,” said Mkhize.
Residents, however, were doubtful whether the imbizo, like the one convened by the national police minister, would have an effect on the area's crime statistics in the next quarter.
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