Police unions, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and the South African Policing Union (Sapu), have sounded their support for a recent statement made by National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, who has called for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to never hesitate to use deadly force when confronted by violent criminals.

On Tuesday, during his address at the Policing Summit currently under way at Emperor's Palace in Ekurhuleni, Masemola indicated that in the face of violent confrontation with criminals, police must not fall victim to ruthless criminals as they have been given the authority by the government to protect the country and its citizens.

"Those that draw a firearm towards the police, the instruction is clear, as the police, you must defend yourselves and defend the people and the inhabitants of this country. You cannot look back and allow the situation where when there was a shooting between the police and the criminals, we lose members or our members are injured," Masemola stated.

His statement comes just as the police in KwaZulu-Natal reported that one suspect was arrested in Inanda on Wednesday, April 9, after armed suspects robbed and killed an off-duty officer who had gone to a shop when he was suddenly confronted by criminals who fired shots and killed him.

Also in Inanda, four suspects who were wanted for cases of murder in the vicinity, were shot and fatally wounded in a shootout with police on the M4 Highway in Umlazi on Tuesday afternoon.

Intelligence about the whereabouts of the suspects made it possible for the police to pounce on the suspects, who fled from a mall in Umlazi before the police caught up with them.

"When the police caught up with them, the suspects fired shots towards the police. To protect themselves and other road users, police returned fire,” the SAPS said in a statement.

Reacting to this call by the national commissioner, Popcru president, Thulani Ngwenya said in light of the many incidents of violence against the police, the union supports the stance taken by Masemola.

"We support the call by the national commissioner because if the police do not protect themselves, who will protect the Section 205 mandate. We further say the Criminal Procedures Act of 1977 is outdated for democracy, we want Section 49 to be amended as of yesterday, to give more power so that the police can defend themselves. Those who criticise the police when they defend themselves want this country and its citizens to live in fear while being terrorised by criminals," Ngwenya stated.

He indicated that it is the state's responsibility to ensure safer communities and maintain law and order, adding that those against this hard-line stance are merely applying theory and not the lived daily experience of those on the frontline of deadly attacks by violent criminals.

Ngwenya called for Parliament to fast-track the amendment of the 1977 Criminal Procedure Act, which has been in place for more than 30 years in a democracy.

Sapu, through its spokesperson, Lesiba Thobakgale, indicated that the union also supports the recent comments made by the national commissioner.

"Sapu's position is that police officers must not die with tools of trade on them when their lives or the life of the citizenry is in danger. They must respond accordingly within the parameters of the law. We uphold our campaign of 'Protect the Protectors' as police are our protectors and must be protected through the declaration of police killings as treason," he said.

Last year, then-police minister Bheki Cele lamented the number of police killed by violent criminals, with reports indicating that towards the end of 2023, a total of 22 police officers had been killed.

These sentiments were echoed by the head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI-Hawks), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, who reported that for the third quarter of 2024/2025, at least 13 police officials were murdered, with eight of these having been killed while off-duty.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za