Celani Sikhakhane
The failure of the SAPS intelligence network to pick up plans by criminal groups to commit serious crimes is back under scrutiny.
Police intelligence gathering is supposed to foil the plans of dangerous criminal syndicates before they commit crimes. This should result in saving both lives and public infrastructure.
The latest criticism comes after the mass killings in taverns in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Four people were killed at Samkelisiwe tavern in Pietermaritzburg early in July while seven were killed at a tuckshop at Marianhill in Pinetown on Saturday.
Five other people were killed in a separate incident in Dassenhoek near Marianhill on the same Saturday night.
Political parties in the provincial legislature have started to question the SAPS intelligence unit after the mass killings.
Blessed Gwala, a member of the security committee in the KZN Legislature, said that the unit’s failure to foil these shootings is worrying many in KZN.
“While the IFP applauds the police for their sterling work in bringing to book the suspects behind the Pietermaritzburg tavern killings, we are concerned about the lack of action by the intelligence services within the South African Police Service,” said Gwala.
“The IFP is concerned that these incidents might be linked to organised crime, considering the short space of time that has elapsed.”
Sharon Hoosen, a DA member of the security committee in the KZN Legislature, said provincial police commissioner Major General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has asked for more police resources from the police minister to deal with the spread of lawlessness in the province.
Hoosen raised concerns about MEC for Safety Peggy Nkonyeni whom she accused of choosing to hold talks with traditional leaders about the crisis instead of coming up with security plans.
The intelligence services were criticised last year for failing to prevent the July unrest across the province. 354 people were killed across KZN and Gauteng and thousands of businesses were looted during the riots.
The unrest was meticulously planned across many Whatsapp groups but the police and intelligence unit failed to act on time.
Mkhwanazi did not respond to Scrolla.Africa’s request for a comment on the concerns raised by Hoosen.
