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'Point a gun at cops - and die'
25/06/2006 20:44 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Anyone who points a gun at a police officer will be killed, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said in an interview with the SABC on Sunday.
"There are some criminals in South Africa who are armed, and are prepared to kill people...Anyone who points a firearm at police will be killed by police officers," he said.
His message came after the deaths of four policemen and eight robbers in a shoot-out in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.
He admitted there was a lot of violent crime in South Africa which was "one of the things we want to bring down as quickly as possible".
He said the incident showed that police were trained to handle such situations and would do whatever is necessary to bring these violent criminals to book.
"I regret that there was such bloodletting regarding this incident," said Nqakula. Robbery
The shoot-out took place at a house in Jeppestown where a large group of heavily armed robbers fled to after robbing a Honeydew Pick 'n Pay.
A shootout which ensued between police and robbers resulted in the twelve deaths as well as two police officers and "a number of the robbers" being injured.
One robber was arrested at the supermarket and 14 others handed themselves over to police at the house on the corner of Main and Hans streets, Gauteng provincial police commissioner Perumal Naidoo said. 'Whingers'
Nqakula has made headlines after recently saying in parliament that those who whinge about crime can either "carry on whinging or leave the country".
In an interview on the actuality programme Interface, he reiterated that his statements had been aimed at three white MP's who were "negative in every debate about crime".
He did apologise, however, he added that he did not say anything wrong.
"I apologise...not because I did anything wrong, but for the way it was interpreted and conveyed."
He said despite scepticism about crime statistics which were reportedly decreasing, government stands by those statistics.
"Despite the fact that they are going down, they are very high," he admitted.
- SAPA
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