MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr Willies Mchunu applauds all the delegates of the KwaZulu-Natal Summit on Police Killings that was held on Tuesday, 16 August 2011 at the Albert Luthuli ICC, Durban for committing themselves in the quest to curb police killings in our province.
The delegates of the KwaZulu-Natal Summit on Police Killings resolved and committed to the following overarching principles in their quest to curb police attacks and killings:
- We must all do our part to protect our protectors, the Police, in the attitude of: ‘If it is to be, it is up to me’
- We must work to build better relations between the community and the police
- We must investigate strengthening legislation to deal with those who attack and kill police members
- Spouses and partners of police members must be workshopped
- on their rights and must be cared for together with the members
- We must deal with wrong-doers within the police individually and not condemn the entire police service as a whole for the failings of a few
- The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster must work vigorously towards the effective and optimal functioning of the Criminal Justice System (CJS)
- Structures contributing towards crime-fighting must be well supported
- Municipalities must be integrally involved in crime-fighting programmes
- Youth-focussed programmes must be promoted
- Community campaigns must be hosted to address police killings and crime
- A ribbon symbolising the anti-police killing campaign must be conceived of
- The media must be intensively used to educate people on the working of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and avoid the portrayal of graphic violence
- There must be campaigns to oppose bail for police killers
- Ward-based crime-fighting structures and programmes must be promoted and implemented
- The killing of police members must not overshadow the killing of ordinary civilians and all life must be valued
- We must all take responsibility for monitoring the abuse of state vehicles with communities taking the lead in this regard
- There must be training for the police and community leaders on human rights and democratic values
- Business social responsibility programmes must be geared towards the cause of fighting crime
- All necessary steps to protect the Police must be taken by the Department of Police and at all levels of government
- Decisions taken at the summit together with these resolutions must be cascaded to districts for action by Municipalities and communities, working in unison with provincial government.
“These resolutions are not here to decorate our walls but they are here to be implemented. The delegates have shown so much commitment in ensuring that
they will protect the police from hooligans who kill them. This summit was a huge success and I am confident that it will bear good fruits, and the battle against police killings shall be won,” said Mchunu.
