• More than 120 suspected criminals have been killed in shootouts with KwaZulu-Natal police in the past 12 months.
• Reports indicate police response to violent criminals under tough crime-fighting mandate
• This approach has seen provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi receive widespread praise.

KWAZULU-NATAL — More than 120 suspected criminals have been shot dead in gunfights with police over the past 12 months, bringing KwaZulu-Natal’s law enforcement agencies’ fight against crime to a new high.

This comes after the resolute commissioner of the province, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazideclared a combative stance against endemic crime.

More than 120 suspects killed in KZN shootings

The self-confident top cop, through his macho bravado, has won the admiration of citizens for his pragmatic criminal approach.

Recently, this earned him industry recognition after the Institute of Risk Management. South Africa (IRMSA) awarded by Mkhwanazi a coveted Venture Influencer of the Year award for having contributed positively to the protection of society while promoting the security and interests of the country.

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“We cannot fight criminals by negotiating with them,” he said during a provincial government summit on social crime prevention at the Olive Convention Center in Durban on Friday, August 2, 2024.

Since then, he has remained steadfast in carrying out the law enforcement mandate to prevent, combat and investigate crime while the KZN Police continue to eliminate criminals.

Deadly shootouts with criminals in the province have left at least 120 suspects dead so far this year.

During the latest bloody incident, officers killed eight suspectsallegedly en route to a planned location business flight. Police had followed up on reports the group planned to rob a foreign national at his Spaza store.

After operationalizing the intelligence, a team tracked and pursued it around midnight on Thursday, December 5, 2024, en route to eSikhawini.

In a video posted by anti-crime journalist Yusuf Ambramjee to X, Mkhwanazi, speaking from a podium at an event, elaborated on his strong statement.

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He urged police officers to shoot accurately when stopped.

“(When) suspects challenge the law by attempting to shoot at police, they should come second. Police officers must act with dispatch.

“That precision of pulling out the gun and accurately shooting the criminal is what we expect. Don’t miss it. Don’t miss it.”

Watch the video here.

Source: In Brief News