KZN clamps down on criminals

While the recent crime statistics revealed that KwaZulu-Natal registered the highest number of murders in the first quarter, the SAPS in the province have made major strides in their bid to fight crime in the month of May. 

According to the provincial commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, more than 9,000 suspects were arrested and 325 guns, inclusive of 29 rifles and 19 shotguns, were recovered. 

A total of 2,620 suspects were arrested for contact crimes,150 of them were nabbed in connection with cases of murder, including a farm murder, and 120 suspects were arrested after they were linked with cases of attempted murder.  

A further 57 suspects were arrested for house robberies, 20 people were nabbed for carjacking and 33 suspects for business robberies. An additional 1,245 suspects were arrested for cases of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and 624 knives, 28 machetes, 21 fighting sticks and two axes were seized in the process.  

Mkhwanazi said the war against gender-based violence has been intensified and has resulted in the arrests of 213 suspects for rape. Another 27 people were nabbed for sexual assault while seven more suspects were arrested for attempted rape and nine more suspects were also put behind bars for sexual offences. More than 11 life imprisonment sentences were attained in the month of May. 

He also said that high density operations will continue in the province to ensure a safe environment for residents. 

“Criminals cannot do as they please, lawlessness cannot be the order of the day and no one can walk all over us as law enforcement officers. We have a constitutional mandate to combat and prevent crime and that should be in our minds every time we report for duty. No area is a no-go area, no one is untouchable, and we must make our presence felt. We must enforce the law to a point where criminals run out of breath.”