Harsh words for new police minister’s fighting stance

FERVENT as ever‚ new Police Minister Fikile Mbalula is not about to tone down his tough attitude towards criminals and lawlessness‚ saying police will not only be merciless but also rough.

He raised eyebrows and drew criticism with a stern warning to violent protesters during his welcoming parade in Pretoria this week‚ saying people must be educated as he did not want another Marikana.

Yesterday‚ he made it very clear: “Our generic statement at the welcoming parade still stands in relation to our attitude to criminals and our attitude generally in terms of fighting crime.

“We are going to be rough but we are going to be legal and there is nothing that is going to be executed outside the law,” he said.

Speaking in Pretoria on the sidelines of his back-to-back introductory meetings with police and Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) management as well as unions at the police headquarters‚ Mbalula said his ministry was not about to undo what was working‚ but would do away with what was not working.

“So we are going to need society to come on board. We are going to be merciless to those [who] think that using guns and terrorising society is their terrain and domain.”

The minister said topping his list of priorities was bringing stability and order in the police top leadership as well as rooting out corruption. — TMG