The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) is singing the praises of KwaZulu-Natal police officers involved in a recent shoot-out in Durban in which five murder suspects were killed after opening fire on police.
Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya commended KZN commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who led the team.
“Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi must be thanked for his leadership and the exemplary performance of his team, with our gratitude as citizens for making our streets safer. Police do not have to apologise for their hard work and dedication.
“Police are often forced to face hardened, heavily armed criminals, and they must continue to respond appropriately and without hesitation to eliminate the threat in these types of situations, even if that sadly means raising their weapons. Their mandate is to protect and serve, and we stand in complete support of them as they perform their task,” he said.
Ngwenya highlighted the importance of acknowledging the hazardous and often life-threatening conditions in which officers operate.
“As Popcru, we would like to extend our congratulations to the police and crime intelligence members involved in identifying and locating these criminals. All officers must be commended for confronting the suspects, and for addressing the clear and present threat they posed to our communities, as demonstrated by the many guns found in the suspects’ possession.
“We further acknowledge and reject any criticism from those who have blamed the police for the incident or labelled their actions as violent. It’s disheartening that these same critics remain silent when our police officers are killed, or are quick to blame police for the presence of violent crime in our society,” said Ngwenya.
THE MERCURY