Hawks boss wants gun law changed

Hawks head Lt-Gen Berning Ntlemeza. File picture: Independent Media

Hawks head Lt-Gen Berning Ntlemeza. File picture: Independent Media

Published Dec 17, 2015

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Durban - National Hawks head Mthandazo Berning Ntlemeza wants “a life sentence” for every person arrested with an illegal firearm.

This, he believes, will help to drastically reduce crime levels plaguing the country.

An animated Ntlemeza declared this during a press briefing on festive season operations on Wednesday at the KwaZulu-Natal police headquarters in Durban. He was accompanied by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Mammonnye Ngobeni and her top brass.

Ntlemeza told journalists that the Fireams Control Act was being reviewed and, in his submission, he had proposed a life sentence for anyone arrested with an illegal firearm.

He recommended a double life sentence for anyone found in possession of an AK-47.

“We cannot allow these people to … go to the mall and try to kill people shopping. As management, we are very serious.”

He said he made the proposal “as someone in charge of investigations in this country”.

But for his proposal to even be considered, he said, “people of this country must support me”.

Senseless killings would come to a halt if illegal firearms were to be eradicated from society, he said.

 

After the briefing, the police planned to execute operations across the province as part a nationwide plan.

The campaign was to establish operational readiness to deal with crime in the country, he said.

“Among objectives, we’ll address issues of mall robberies, cash-in-transit heists, police killings and house robberies and break-ins.”

He said police were aware that during the festive season there was overindulgence in alcohol and drug abuse.

This “results in the commission of serious crimes”.

“Drugs are problematic in this country – liquor also contributes,” he said.

“As we speak we have three delegations visiting about 12 land ports of entry countrywide. The purpose of these visits is to establish operational readiness of joint security forces at border posts to ensure a smooth flow of people, goods and to combat any criminality posed.”

Ngobeni stressed the importance of police “reclaiming our space” to ensure community safety.

Questioned about the morale in the police, Ntlemeza said he did not believe that morale was an issue.

Asked specifically whether he was saying that morale had improved since the October 14 suspension of national police commissioner Riah Phiyega, Ntlemeza said: “I won’t say it is up just because this and that happened. We as management see the morale is now going up.”

Ngobeni urged members of the public to assist the police in combating crime and in particular urged members to come forward in reporting crime.

Asked about the ongoing problems at Durban’s Glebelands Hostels in Umlazi, where more than 50 people have been gunned down since March last year, Ngobeni said police were addressing the issues.

She said police were endeavouring to work with non-governmental agencies as well as activists to solve the problems.

Ngobeni rejected recent calls for the army to be sent to the hostels, saying that the mandate rested with the police to fight crime in conjunction with other government departments.

 

Asked about allegations that police officers from Durban were involved in the killings, Ngobeni said that she was aware of the allegations and that because it was “a covert -related matter” she could not comment further on the issue.

 

The Mercury

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