28 dead in 8 weeks: Shootouts with KZN police a symptom of violent crime in province - experts
Twenty-eight people died in police shootouts in KZN since the start of the year.In the last financial year, the province had the highest number of deaths due to police action.The victims of the shootings were among some of the province's most dangerous criminals, based on police statements from each incident.
When questioned about the most recent number of cases under investigation by IPID in the province, IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said:"We cannot give an exact number of cases we are investigating at the moment, but any case that falls within the mandate of IPID is investigated to determine the facts of the matter."On 18 January, six people were killed in a shootout with police in Inanda.
On 17 February, four men believed to be behind the murders of a 48-year-old woman and her 22-year-old daughter in Inanda were killed during a shootout with police; On 5 March, two men were killed in a shootout with police in Melmoth. They were believed to be behind the murder of five people at a homestead in Ulundi two days earlier; and
"The provincial commissioner has at many media briefings raised his concern about the fact that, in KwaZulu-Natal, criminals tend to shoot at police officers rather than be taken into custody for their crimes, as well as the fact that these criminals are turning to crime at a very young age," he said.
Burger said the province was known for"armed criminals willing to use firearms, even against the police". "Keep in mind that, when we talk about the use of force, the Act is very clear that it must be necessary, reasonable and proportionate. The police can't use more force than is necessary to overcome resistance."
During the reporting period, KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of cases reported to IPID, with 115 cases, resulting in 142 deaths, followed by Gauteng, with 108 cases, resulting in 123 deaths.
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