Cele denies SA cops ‘trigger-happy’
Police Minister Bheki Cele says police officers cannot be expected to sit on their hands when confronted by violent, armed suspects.
The minister’s remarks came amid questions about the police’s conduct following several deadly shootouts, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
In April, nine suspects were killed during a shootout in Desai, Mariannhill.
On Sunday, Cele revealed that 109 officers lost their lives at the hands of suspects during the past 11 months.
Cele addressed the issue during an anti-crime imbizo in Vanderbijlpark on Friday.
“A firearm is for one purpose and one purpose only; it’s to commit a crime. Then, the police will work on their information; as they go there, they must approach with caution, and anybody who shoots as the police are approaching, there is only one language that the police will use, and that’s to shoot back.
“The only thing that I’ll promise criminals when they shoot, and that is police will come out on top.
“There is this accusation that we are trigger-happy. We don’t want to arrest that’s why six guys here were not shot but arrested. (But) you don’t shoot us, we don’t shoot you.”
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