Statement by Premier Alan Winde and Minister Albert Fritz on the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear
Premier Alan Winde extends his deepest condolences to the family of Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, who was killed outside of his home yesterday afternoon.
Lieutenant-Colonel Kinnear was a top detective with the police’s Anti-Gang Unit in the Western Cape. He was working on a number of high-profile cases involving some of the province’s top gang bosses.
Premier Winde said: “This is a very sad moment for Lieutenant-Colonel Kinnear’s family and friends, the police service, and for our province. This was a man committed to fighting against the highest and most insidious criminals in our communities, a man who put his life on the line to make us safer. That life has now been taken.”
“I am extremely disappointed that such a crime could have been committed. This fully underscores in my mind the shift needed in our police service. We need more police, more protection for our police, and more protection for our people. I call on the national government – to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the National Minister of Police Bheki Cele, to arrest the further decline of our police service by investing in its numbers, and in its institutional strengthening, without delay. We welcome the announcement by National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole of a 72-hour activation plan under the leadership of the Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Yolisa Matakata. They must now work to swiftly arrest the perpetrators of this heinous crime, and ensure they are brought to justice. We do understand the difficulties, but all effort needs to be made now to overcome those difficulties and to bring about lasting positive change. Let Charl Kinnear’s life not be lost in vain.”
This murder comes just a day after MEC Albert Fritz met with national police Minister Bheki Cele and the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety, Alderman JP Smith, to formulate a plan to address ongoing extortion of Cape Town businesses.
Premier Winde said: “The Western Cape Government is committed to making this province safe for the people who live here but we must have the police resources, and the assistance and trust of the public to do so.”
Minister Fritz said: “I condemn the shooting and killing of Charl Kinnear yesterday in the strongest terms. I welcome the SAPS investigation into the matter and further wish to extent my heartfelt condolences to Kinnear's family during this difficult time. We will assign resources from our watching brief unit to monitor any eventual cases that are brought to bear, to ensure they move effectively through the criminal justice system, and that perpetrators are brought to book. We must commend the National and Provincial Commissioners for their action taken to date in this case.”
“The police and the Hawks must shine a light onto the dark, criminal underworld that exists in this country, and act against its leaders and the corrupt system that enables it. Failure to take decisive action now will only result in further loss of life, and the death toll, for police and innocent civilians, is already far too high.”
He continued: ”We also reiterate the call we have been making for a number of years: to allocate the appropriate police resources including crime intelligence, detectives and public order police to the Western Cape, - to tackle crime, gangsterism and unrest.”
Premier Winde concluded: “Charl Kinnear’s loss weighs heavily on this province, as does the murder of every other innocent life. Now is not the time for more talk on ‘fixing crime’ – the national police service must act.”
