Law enforcement will not hesitate to act against those who use the holiday period to 'bring misery to others'.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has issued a strong message to criminals across the province as the festive season approaches.
Mkhwanazi was speaking during the official launch of Safety Month and the province’s festive season safety plan, held in Durban on Thursday.
Mkhwanazi on policing challenges in KZN
Addressing the gathering, Mkhwanazi highlighted that KZN often faces distinctive policing challenges during this period.
He highlighted that while many residents return home from other provinces with good intentions — to spend time with loved ones and contribute to the province’s economy — the increased movement also brings some individuals with “ulterior motives”, carrying grudges from conflicts that occurred elsewhere, particularly in Gauteng hostels and mining areas.
According to Mkhwanazi, these disputes sometimes lead to revenge attacks when people come back to KZN.
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Such incidents, he added, are especially common in rural parts of the province, including the central regions and the Ugu district in the south.
“We are advocating for civil settlement of whatever grudges and whatever issues that they have.”
He urged local councillors and community leaders to step in when disputes arise and help resolve conflicts peacefully before they escalate.
Mkhwanazi’s warning to criminals
At the same time, Mkhwanazi made it clear that police will be on high alert for anyone planning to disrupt the peace.
He warned that law enforcement will not hesitate to act against those who will use the holiday period to “bring misery to others”.
The KZN police commissioner also had a strong message for criminals who may attempt to resist arrest or attack officers.
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“Our intelligent collectors are already on the ground. They are sniffing out for information, and when we confront you as police officers, we want you to please surrender.
“We don’t want to be known as police that are attacking people. We will approach you because you already have information. We know what you’re up to.
“Please do surrender because if you do not surrender, it may not end well. Not on your side, but we also don’t want to traumatise our own law enforcement officers for engaging in a fight with you.
“So anyone who fights with police officers must expect to fight back, and that’s just how it is.”
Crackdown on stock theft
Mkhwanazi also turned his attention to the problem of livestock theft, which he said tends to rise during the festive season in areas such as Richards Bay and the uMzinyathi district.
He indicated that criminals “make a fortune” from this illegal activity and warned that police will be conducting inspections at traditional ceremonies.
“If we arrive at your ceremony, and we find that there’s some cattle that’s been slaughtered that don’t belong to that family, you can’t produce documents of where we got it from, we will empty those pots, and we’ll take everything.
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“Do not blame us for destabilising your ceremonies. Please act responsibly.
“If you are buying stock from someone, there must be a receipt for transportation of that. Keep that in case the police come and do [an] inspection.
“So you can be able to produce that you procure the stock from a certain individual, of which details you must be able to verify.”
Major deployment across KZN
Meanwhile, more than 24 500 law enforcement officers and emergency personnel will be deployed across KZN as part of an integrated festive season safety campaign.
The deployment will include 17 528 South African Police Service (Saps) officers, 2 000 metro police officers, 693 Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers, 1,912 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) officials, 134 South African Revenue Service (Sars) customs officers, and 1 167 community safety volunteers.
According to KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, these teams will be strategically placed at key locations such as ports of entry, beaches, shopping centres, major events, and along main roads to ensure visibility and a swift response to incidents.
Ntuli also made a heartfelt appeal to men to take responsibility in ending gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), which tends to increase during the festive season.
“Let this festive season be a turning point. Rise to protect, not to harm. Every woman and every child deserves to celebrate safely and live without fear.”
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