Police deserve our support against ruthless criminals

Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday to pay their last respects to Sgt Sibongiseni Khoza in Tongaat, north of Durban. The young policeman died in the line of duty in Sundumbili, near Mandini, while he and two of his colleagues were responding to residents’ complaints about a gunman who was randomly shooting at houses in the area. When Khoza and his colleagues approached the armed man, he opened fire — hitting Khoza in the forehead. Khoza died instantly.

The incident is yet another horrific reminder of how hazardous police work can be in this violent country of ours. According to official reports, 34 police officers died in the line of duty between April 2022 and March last year.

Given our long, divided and painful history — where cops were rightfully regarded as enemies by sections of our society — it is not surprising that the trust deficit between the police and many of these communities remains huge.

As a result, reports of police killing suspected criminals on the grounds that they opened fire first, still arouse a lot of suspicion and distrust. Some believe these incidents to be coldblooded murder — instances where cops take the law into their hands.

There are others who, on hearing such reports, cheer the police on in the belief that such violent killings serve as a deterrent to others considering crime as a way of life. Little can be done to change people’s minds in one way or the other — given where we come from as South Africa.

However, our post-apartheid system has afforded us instruments to ensure that power vested in the hands of the state is not abused. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is once such tool. Among other matters, it is tasked with investigating any shooting where police officers are involved.

With the number of shoot-outs between police and suspected criminals rising, it is crucial that Ipid is adequately resourced to allow it to investigate each case fully.

With a strong and credible Ipid, police officers who abuse their authority will be exposed, while those who use lethal force only to protect themselves and their fellow citizens would not have to live with constant suspicion that they are summarily executing suspects.