KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Image: X/@SAPoliceService
KwaZulu-Natal top cop Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says the province’s jails are filling up quickly as their police operations nab suspects daily.
in Durban
Police in KwaZulu-Natal are arresting illegal foreigners at such a rapid rate, that they are running out of space in the province’s jails.
This was the complaint put forward by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Tuesday, after he led an early-morning raid on hijacked buildings in Durban’s city centre.
KZN illegal foreigners filling up jails
During the raid, South African Police Service (SAPS) members arrested 123 illegal foreigners people and Mkhwanazi lamented the issue of space constraints in their jails.
“We have been running these operations almost on a daily basis and we’re making these successes.
“Our biggest problem, especially when it comes to undocumented persons, [is that] we’re running out of space to lock them up. That is the unfortunate challenge that we have,” he said.
Mkhwanazi also added that the frequency and successes of these raids meant police were recovering more weapons than they could store.
“The number of firearms that we are recovering in the province…We have had a recent engagement with the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority], as well the judiciary, in order to try and prevent these firearms from being kept mostly at police stations, for the purpose of them being evidence in courts.
“It is quite a number of guns we are collecting as a province,” said the Mkhwanazi.
The Tuesday raid involved police, Durban Metro Police Service, Correctional Services, Home Affairs and other law-enforcement agencies, and it recovered:
- Counterfeit dollars
- Weapons and ammunition
- Large volumes of liquors
- Cocaine and crystal meth
Six buildings were raided, with illegal occupants found in one eThekwini municipality-owned property.
“A person who was allegedly collecting rent money from illegal residents of that building was taken in for questioning,” SAPS said.
KZN police commissioner: Praised and criticised
Mkhwanazi and his officers have been on a crime-fighting blitz in recent months, with many South Africans lauding their successes.
In contrast, some sections of society – particularly crime commentators – have complained about KwaZulu-Natal police’s supposed heavy-handedness when dealing with criminal suspects.
But Mkhwanazi seems unfazed by the criticism, telling Newzroom Afrika‘s Xoli Mngambi last Thursday that it is difficult to debate so-called experts who are not in the field.
“An operation of the police is better known by a police officer,” he said. “It seems policing is becoming a profession that is taken for granted.”
He invited those who continually criticise police work to join officers on raids, as reservists.
“Anyone who has an opinion or a suggestion to make, they know how to get hold of us,” he said.
