Durban — The Mariannhill area in Durban has once again been brought under the spotlight for its high rate of crime after a shootout with police there left nine suspects fatally wounded.
The suspects killed during the shootout in Desai in the early hours of Wednesday morning have been described as a menace to society.
According to councillor Reginald Cloete, for ward 13, the deceased had terrorised the community by breaking into homes and raping the women, among other misdeeds.
He lauded the police for their work.
“We welcome the actions of the SAPS. The situation was bad and people lived in constant fear. The sad truth, however, is that the war is not yet over as there are plenty of these young boys who commit these crimes in the area.
“Police still have a lot of work to do. If it were up to myself, I would request the leadership of this country to declare a ‘state of emergency’ in the area of Mariannhill because of the high crime rate,” said Cloete.
He noted that while some community members knew who the culprits were, they seldom reported them to the police due to fear of victimisation.
Cloete encouraged them to use his number to report any crime, adding that they were at liberty to remain anonymous.
The councillor said that while he was unsure who owned the house in which the suspects were located, he suspected that it was used as a hideout spot by the criminals.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said a manhunt for two more suspects was under way. The police have since recovered four firearms.
Netshiunda said that police officers belonging to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Stabilisation Team operationalised intelligence about a group of 11 who had been terrorising the residents of Mariannhill and its surrounds.
“The suspects were also 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.
“When police caught up with them, intelligence had uncovered that the suspects were plotting to execute a hit on someone,” he said.
Netshiunda added that although police were ambushed when they erroneously knocked at the wrong house, the police officers managed to retaliate and neutralise the threat with none of them suffering any injuries.
Community leader Zama Khumalo said they were pleased with the outcome, as community members had lived in constant fear of the suspects.
Khumalo said they were looking at permanent measures.
“We are hoping to meet with Minister of Police Bheki Cele to discuss our concerns with him,” said Khumalo.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said she was relieved that the suspects had met their fate as she had fallen victim to them on five occasions since August last year.
She said that although the incidents were reported to the police, their cases had only recently been given due attention.
KwaZulu-Natal Violence Monitor Mary de Haas said that socio-economic conditions also drove some criminals and unemployed people to be recruited for drug distribution and the hitmen services.
“Crime is also caused by a culture of impunity with few convictions and serious problems in policing and prosecution services. The rule of law hardly functions as it should. So, crime, including organised crime that drives it, pays,” she said.
Professor Nirmala Gopal of the Discipline of Criminology and Forensic Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal said South Africa found itself grappling with an alarming surge in crime rates, prompting a palpable erosion of trust among its populace in the ability of the criminal justice system to shield them from victimisation.
“The nation’s crime barometer register is at an unprecedented high, underscoring the gravity of the situation. At the forefront of this unsettling trend are the spectres of violence, with gang warfare, homicide, gender-based violence and physical assault serving as prominent catalysts. These harrowing issues are not isolated incidents but symptomatic of deeper fissures within South Africa’s societal fabric.”
Gopal said the proliferation of violence underscored a profound malaise within our collective values.
“We’ve inadvertently fostered an environment that tacitly condones various forms of violence – be it emotional, systemic, or institutional.
“Furthermore, the failure to hold our government accountable for fostering job creation and curbing unemployment exacerbates this societal malaise. Inadequate incentives to steer youth away from gang affiliations and criminal activities only perpetuate the cycle of violence.”
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