Durban — There is a spike in incidents of police shootouts with suspected criminals in Durban which strengthens the belief that there are too many guns in the wrong hands.

On Monday, police shot dead five suspects at eZintombini, Bester, in Inanda. In a joint operation, police raided a house that was suspected to be a criminals' den.

When the police approached the house, occupants started shooting at the police which resulted in an exchange of gunfire that left five suspects dead. Police recovered four firearms and ammunition. On Friday last week, police shot dead a traditional healer in eThwalenye, Inanda, who was suspected of harbouring and giving muti to criminals. The traditional healer died in an exchange of gunfire with the police Last Wednesday, Mariannhill SAPS shot dead two suspects in Luganda, an informal settlement that borders the northern side of Nagina, Mariannhill.

According to reports, Mariannhill SAPS received a tip-off about an armed gang of criminals in a hideout. When the police knocked and identified themselves, the gunmen shot at them. Two 9mm pistols were recovered.

Last Sunday, in Amaoti, Inanda, two men were killed when they shot at the police. Ammunition and two revolvers were recovered with serial numbers filed off. In mid-October, four people were killed in Ntuzuma C. Two young women were among the dead. One of the suspects was wanted for 12 murders committed in September.

Among his victims were six members of the Inanda Community Policing Forum. Last week, police shot dead another suspect in Inanda who was allegedly terrorising CPF members. At the beginning of October, five suspects who were linked to cash-in-transit heists were shot dead in KwaMashu.

Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has commended police officers for remaining composed during the gun battle which lasted for about half an hour. Police recovered an AK47, an R5 rifle and ammunition. The KZN MEC for Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka, praised the work of the police and said the criminals were terrorising the community of Inanda and surrounding areas.

He highlighted that the police are also arresting wanted criminals and referred to the example of a suspect who was nabbed in Jolivet, South Coast, who was linked to cash-in-transit heists, as well as three suspects who were apprehended at KwaMashu Polyclinic. Human rights activist and violence monitor, Mary de Haas, said a question needed to be asked where so many guns in KZN were coming from.

Speaking to IOL, Professor Witness Maluleke, a rural criminologist of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Limpopo, said KwaZulu-Natal had been branded as a hub and capital city of gun violence for decades, without any sign of slowing down.

“This is a continuing worrying factor, with limited repercussions. Some of the obvious contributory factors to the high spate of gun violence in this province can be geared towards lawlessness, easy accessibility to dangerous weapons, disobeying the rule of law, the toothless criminal justice system (CJS), social ills and normalising violence, among others.”

He said a lasting remedy to this situation required a multidisciplinary approach, involving every societal stakeholder, “and accepting that our CJS failed in all its attempts and (it) cannot win the war against gun violence in KZN, specifically, and other provinces, in general”.

Sunday Tribune

Zimbili Vilakazi

Ukhozi FM presenter complains about her reputation being ruined

Spike in gun battles between cops and criminals in Durban