Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has warned that the holiday for criminals was over, and police would not hesitate to act against them.
He also said police would not tolerate the abuse and murder of women and children, and told Parliament yesterday no abused women would be turned away at a police station.
Mbalula was delivering his maiden budget speech as police minister, defending the police and said they would intensify the fight against crime.
“When we say shoot to kill, we don’t say shoot innocent people, (but) shoot in defence of the innocent,” he said.
Mbalula warned that rotten eggswould not be tolerated in the SAPS.
The police have dedicated officers who fight crime 24 hours a day, and promised they would not tolerate anyone in the system who gave them a bad name, said Mbalula.
In the fight against crime, 80 new police stations would be built across the country at a cost of more than R583 million. This is aimed at improving the service provided by the police in communities.
Jerome Maake, of the ANC, backed Mbalula, saying there was no time to treat criminals with kid gloves, and the state would root criminals out.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Francois Beukman said Mbalula’s commitment on the process to appoint a new national police commissioner was welcome. This would be done after June 27, a few days before the contract of suspended commissioner Riah Phiyega comes to an end.
Zakhele Mbhele, of the DA, said the police at station level were understaffed, under-resourced, ill-equipped and poorly trained. He said Mbalula would have to look at this, adding that poor leadership was to blame.
Mbhele also said the violence against women and children in recent days pointed to problems in the system, which must be urgently addressed.
Manzoor Shaik Emam, of the National Freedom Party, said he agreed with Mbalula on tough action against
criminals.