DESPITE mounting criticism accusing KwaZulu-Natal police of being “trigger-happy,” provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has stood firm, stating that officers should not hesitate to return fire when under attack.

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His comments follow a dramatic incident on April 8, when four suspected members of the notorious West Gang were fatally shot during a gun battle with police on the M4 East, near the old Durban airport.

The suspects, believed to be behind a spate of violent crimes including multiple murders and armed robberies in townships north of Durban, had been under surveillance by officers from the Crime Intelligence Unit, the Inanda SAPS Task Team, and eThekwini Metro Police’s Trio Crimes Team.

According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the suspects were tracked to Umlazi, where an attempt was made to arrest them. However, the men allegedly fled, prompting a high-speed chase that ended in a shoot-out.

“With police catching up on them, the suspects fired shots towards the police and to protect themselves and other road users, police returned fire. During the shoot-out, four suspects were shot and fatally wounded. No police officer sustained any injuries during the shoot-out,” said Netshiunda.

Three guns were recovered from the suspects.

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Netshiunda said all four were wanted for at least three cases of murder in Inanda committed in March and April, two of which were double murders. The West Gang has been known to terrorise communities in Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu, committing murders, rape, theft, and break-ins. In January, the gang’s leader Mnqobi Nzimande, 22, was killed in a shoot-out with police in Verulam.

As the number of suspected criminals die as a result of increased gun battles with police every week, there have been calls to probe the police, and Mkhwanazi, about it.

At a recent police awards ceremony, Mkhwanazi said although he does not encourage the heavy-handedness of the police, they should always protect themselves and civilians when facing criminals who do not hesitate to shoot.

“When police find themselves under attack and return fire, critics accuse us of being trigger-happy. We will not be lectured by those who have never set foot on the streets with the police. Officers are issued tools to protect themselves, and no police officer should die at the hands of a criminal,” said Mkhwanazi.

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