Rapid-fire police face no accountability in KZN – experts

Crime experts say the frequent and deadly use of force by law enforcement highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability.

Mary de Haas, Violence Watcher, expressed her concerns about police performance in KwaZulu-Natal and raised questions about the effectiveness of current oversight mechanisms.

“The biggest concern is that we cannot determine whether or not the police officers were justified in shooting all these people, especially given the unacceptable lack of public information about which units were involved,” she said.

Police May Intentionally Kill Suspects

While police must defend themselves, the current number of shootings in the province is not a solution to crime and may even perpetuate it, the researcher said.

“Given the widespread corruption within the Saps, some officers can deliberately kill for various reasons and get away with it.

“Deceased suspects cannot be questioned about where they got their weapons and ammunition or who their accomplices are.”

De Haas said the recent police shootings in KZN raised important questions about the proper firearms training for officers. Last year, 142 people were killed by police in KZN, compared to 104 in 2020.

De Haas called on the police minister to set up an independent investigation into the recent shootings, either by a small group of experts or by a retired judge.

“There needs to be a check to ensure that all members are properly trained, through accredited courses, in the use of the weapons they carry, as there have been reports of a lack of shooting skills among many officers,”

According to De Haas, Gareth Newham, head of the Institute for Security Studies’ department of governance, crime and justice, keeps a close eye on professional police departments worldwide when officers are involved in shootings.

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Police need to be more accountable

“There needs to be a fresh look at what happened,” he said.

“They can assess whether there were ways in which police could have dealt with suspects that could have prevented the shooting and the loss of life,” Newman said.

“It’s a way to assess how police handle these types of situations and improve operations to increase everyone’s safety.”

He said it was important to prevent police actions from turning into extrajudicial killings, like those seen during the apartheid era.

It could lead to increased violence and tensions between police and criminal gangs, as in Brazil and Mexico.

“Although specialized police units alone are responsible for most murders, criminal networks and gangs generally view the police as an enemy.

“They may start shooting at police because they think they will be shot at or killed if they see officers.”

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Experts say Ipid needs to be strengthened

According to the experts, intelligence and investigative capabilities, particularly within the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), need to be strengthened.

The directorate reportedly has 164 detectives, each handling 317 cases (338 in KZN).

This raised concerns about the speed at which these murders would be investigated.

Adequate manpower and resources are essential to carry out tasks effectively, ensure transparency and prevent police misconduct, authorities said.

“There is a need for an inspection judge for Ipid, who can coordinate such investigations,” said De Haas.

“Most researchers lack the required skills in all of these areas.”

Criminal expert William Els of ISS emphasized that a holistic approach requires collaboration with other departments and the development of short, medium and long-term strategies.

“The Minister of Police has identified tackling corruption as a priority, but this requires concrete actions, not just rhetoric,” said Els.

“Confidence in the police can be restored by curbing corruption, ensuring effective training, increasing manpower and professionalizing the police.”

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