South Africa Police Say Criminals Have Declared War on the People

South Africa Police Minister Bheki Cele says criminals have declared war on citizens, following a surge in crime levels in the country.

This is after the country’s transport minister was robbed at gun-point in a daring attack on Monday, while travelling from Kwazulu-Natal to Gauteng.

A manhunt has since been launched for the robbers, who stole some laptops, a phone and her bodyguards’ weapons.

According to him, these criminals, are taking us on the people, and it is no use of taking a step back.

“People say we are calling for a war, we are not calling for a war, we found the war in the way.

These criminals, they are taking us on, so it’s no use of taking a step back,” Mr Cele added.

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The minister said the government would address police shortages in the country, in an attempt to curb the escalating crime rates.

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) wants tougher action to be taken against criminals following an increase in police killings in the country.

The union says at least 67 police officers have been killed in criminal attacks since January.

Cele says 30 000 recruits, being taken in between 2022 and 2024, will not solve the police’s staff shortages, due to an exodus of experienced officers.

“The figure that we’ll have will be [the] 2010 figure amapoyiseni [officers], not 2023. In 2010, you had 195 000 in the whole organisation, now we have 187.

South Africans were 50 million then, now they are 62 million. So the ratio has moved from 1 to 222, to 1 to 420.”