Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers do not initiate violence but respond when confronted by armed suspects.
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A rise in deadly shootouts between police and suspects in KwaZulu-Natal has drawn mixed reactions, with law enforcement defending its approach while analysts and community structures raise concerns about accountability and public safety.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers do not initiate violence but respond when confronted by armed suspects.
“We cannot say the justice system is failing. Police are effective. We are arresting people every day, they are going to court, and people are getting sentenced, including life sentences. So we can assert that we have an effective justice system,” Netshiunda said.
He emphasised that police operations are aimed at arrests. “Police don’t go out to shoot. Police go out to arrest a person. That’s why police will announce their presence,” he said.
Netshiunda said suspects are often heavily armed with illegal firearms, contributing to violent confrontations. “When you go to crime scenes where there are shootouts and you find the calibre of guns that criminals have, you wish that police have those guns,” he said.
He added that officers are legally entitled to defend themselves and the public. “If during the operation there’s an exchange of gunfire and somebody is to die, police will do their level best that if somebody is to die, that person is not a member of SAPS. Because nobody reports for duty to be killed.”
However, policing expert David Bruce from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said oversight mechanisms are not functioning as effectively as intended.
“IPID is supposed to be responsible for investigating these shootings. However, IPID is generally not able to investigate these incidents with any rigour and almost exclusively relies on the accounts provided by the police officers involved,” Bruce said.
He warned that such incidents pose serious risks to the public. “The risks to bystanders during these shootings are significant,” he said.
Community Policing Forum (CPF) structures have largely supported police in these confrontations while acknowledging the complexity of crime trends.
In Inanda, CPF deputy chairperson Mbongeni Phewa said recent high-intensity operations have unsettled criminal networks, but their broader impact remains uncertain.
He said crime often shifts geographically rather than declines. “Illegal activities move into neighbouring areas after targeted operations,” Phewa said.
Phewa defended police actions, saying officers are fulfilling their duty. “We cannot condemn these shootouts on the basis that criminals are dying. Police are protecting themselves while also safeguarding the public,” he said.
At the same time, he acknowledged the human cost. “It is heartbreaking to witness children losing their lives in these incidents. They have families, and parents are left to deal with that loss.”
Concerns over policing capacity and infrastructure continue to surface in other communities.
In Marianhill, CPF representative Dawud Chirwa said residents are frustrated by delays in the construction of a police station first proposed in 2006.
“The major concern is feedback from SAPS and the Public Works Department on when they are building our Marianhill Police Station. It’s been years… now we are tired,” Chirwa said.
He said residents recently walked out of a police engagement meeting, indicating they would not participate further until progress is made.
“We are not happy. We can never be happy to live in fear… our area has grown due to migration, and the population has increased, but resources remain limited,” he said.
The Marianhill policing precinct covers seven wards, with limited personnel servicing a growing population.
Despite these concerns, Chirwa said the CPF supports firm action against armed suspects. “Any person who commits crime and resists arrest by shooting at the police must face the music,” he said.