IT IS more tolerable when a criminal dies in a shootout with police than when a police officer is killed by a criminal.
This was said by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for transport, community safety and liaison Willies Mchunu yesterday when he unveiled transport statistics in Durban.
Mchunu was responding to a question relating to the number of criminals killed by police officers in the province recently.
KwaZulu-Natal police have gunned down at least eight suspects in the past three weeks.
"We really get upset when a policeman dies during clashes with criminals because these are the people we have invested so much in to protect society," Mchunu said.
"Criminals dying rather than police officers is more tolerable in the sense that police officers serve communities.
"Also, the reason why so many criminals have died in this province is because there are so many of them who are wanted for various crimes and they are heavily armed.
"When there's war, lives are expected to be lost and in some cases it's the lives of the belligerents," Mchunu said.
He gave the example of the gang of 15 that robbed a pension payout point.
"That was an army and when there's war, there will always be fatalities," Mchunu said.
"Though we are sorry when a criminal dies, we are more upset when a police officer or a member of the society is killed."
Among the suspects killed by police is Philani "Nkalatha" Nxele, who was wanted for the massacre of six people in Ntshongweni.
Four others were killed a few days later at a pension payout cash heist in Inanda and three more were killed on Monday at Cato Ridge.
Thugs deserve what they get
IT IS more tolerable when a criminal dies in a shootout with police than when a police officer is killed by a criminal.
This was said by KwaZulu-Natal MEC for transport, community safety and liaison Willies Mchunu yesterday when he unveiled transport statistics in Durban.
Mchunu was responding to a question relating to the number of criminals killed by police officers in the province recently.
KwaZulu-Natal police have gunned down at least eight suspects in the past three weeks.
"We really get upset when a policeman dies during clashes with criminals because these are the people we have invested so much in to protect society," Mchunu said.
"Criminals dying rather than police officers is more tolerable in the sense that police officers serve communities.
"Also, the reason why so many criminals have died in this province is because there are so many of them who are wanted for various crimes and they are heavily armed.
"When there's war, lives are expected to be lost and in some cases it's the lives of the belligerents," Mchunu said.
He gave the example of the gang of 15 that robbed a pension payout point.
"That was an army and when there's war, there will always be fatalities," Mchunu said.
"Though we are sorry when a criminal dies, we are more upset when a police officer or a member of the society is killed."
Among the suspects killed by police is Philani "Nkalatha" Nxele, who was wanted for the massacre of six people in Ntshongweni.
Four others were killed a few days later at a pension payout cash heist in Inanda and three more were killed on Monday at Cato Ridge.
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