Police killings will end - Mthethwa
2012-12-13 17:34
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Johannesburg - The killing of police will be stopped, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa vowed on Thursday.
"We shall end police killings. We shall ensure that those who kill police officers are punished," he said in a speech prepared for delivery at an interfaith prayer meeting in Kimberley.
"We are under no illusion that all of us as law-abiding South Africans have a protracted war ahead of us; a war that has been declared by heartless criminals on our men and women in blue."
Mthethwa said those criminals who killed police should be reported and not harboured.
"From the police leadership, management and the entire SAPS family, we are ready to get our hands dirty and deal with these heinous crimes," the minister said.
"We have the will; we have the way and commitment to curb these atrocious killings of police."
Mthethwa stated that the interfaith community was an important partner in the regeneration of moral values and the implementation of government programmes.
The fight against crime required an integrated approach, including addressing moral values.
"The interfaith community teaches values of caring and sharing and promotes upright and moral citizens," said Mthethwa.
"If children from an early age are taught the values articulated by the interfaith community, the likelihood of them growing up to be responsible and caring adults is that much greater."
As such, partnering with the interfaith community not only helped police combat crime but also assisted the implementation of sustainable crime prevention.
Mthethwa said the interfaith community must be actively involved in community policing forums and work with police to deal with crime.
"Crime is a complex challenge and for us to defeat this scourge, we need all the social partners."
It had been noted some senior representatives from interfaith structures had taken sides within the political developments of South Africa, Mthethwa said.
While pastors should contribute to the developmental discussions of South Africa, once they ventured into the political fraternity, having taken certain sides or views, it created a political bias and discourse.
"We need a balanced and fair assessment of the developmental discussion, not factional analysis by interfaith leaders," Mthethwa said.
The minister also railed against men who beat woman.
"What kind of a man beats a woman? As police we are going to hunt some of these weak men who abuse women and we will leave no stone unturned, as we recommit our efforts to ensure safer communities," he said.
Mthethwa warned the youth that the impact of drugs was not limited to individuals in a specific time or place.
"Drugs are both a crime and a cause of crime. Good parenting goes a long way in the fight against drugs and drug abuse," he said.
"As young people today you need earnestly to begin to think about the many young people who are still under the bondage of drugs [and] crime and [are] not in control of their lives."
- SAPA