The conundrum of Cele’s “hard-core” reaction to “hard-core” criminals

With the Marianhill deadly gun-battle between police and suspected criminals fresh in our memories, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) has noted what Minister of Police Bheki Cele has said that when the South African Police Services (SAPS) deal with “…suspected hard-core criminals, police must respond in a hard way, in a way that corresponds to the kind of people they approach…”. Minister Cele also referred to tensions between communities and the police, they have much work to do to improve on this score, instead of saying there will always be tensions.

South Africans are held at ransom by murderers, rapists, hijackers, burglars and other criminal elements in the country and are heartily tired of this; to the point where there has been a lot of sympathy for the police in their actions in the early hours of Wednesday, 3 April 2024 and even praised what had happened. Especially given that the Marrianhill suspects were sought in connection with a case of rape where they allegedly gang raped a girl and made her mother watch the ordeal during a house robbery. This is most horrific, why must crime like robbery always be escalated to the point where innocent people are so egregiously hurt in the process?

However, South Africa might be turning into a Wild Wild West, where criminals and law enforcement are more regularly engaging in shoot-outs and there is inherent risk to the lives of the bystanders and law enforcement officers themselves. If SAPS escalates, criminals will escalate even further, and we will have a vicious cycle.

The UDM was encouraged to hear that, reportedly that police intelligence had uncovered that the suspects were plotting to execute a hit on someone. We have been vocal about the need for better intelligence gathering at SAPS as well as the establishment of a baseline information system (database) for strategic planning around crime and policing issues. An important component of such a system will be the use of victim surveys to fill the gaps left by official crime statistics as compiled by the police.

The UDM also believes that more resources should be allocated towards destroying crime syndicates and physically breaking up their power bases; through such measures as forfeiture of property, crippling financial penalties, full victim compensation, and others.

Overall, while law enforcement agencies have a duty to maintain public safety and apprehend suspected criminals, a hard-core reaction should be balanced with considerations of proportionality, legality, and the broader impact on community trust and social cohesion.