Deadly shootouts between police and organised crime gangs are now a defining feature of police work and life in South Africa.

New war on the streets. Deadly shootouts between police and organised crime gangs are now a defining feature of police work and life in South Africa.In the past two weeks in and around Durban, more than 16 criminal suspects, and an innocent bystander, it seems, have been killed in shootouts with police, bringing to the fore the use of deadly force in apprehending suspects.Do these incidents reflect a new, tougher, if not gung-ho approach to combating crime? Have some policemen interpreted too literally the recent shoot-to-kill utterances of some leading politicians?
'Mkhize opened fire when police tried to pull his car over' And how do we know that vital witnesses are not being deliberately taken out by cops on the take? These are just some of the questions various commentators, including violence monitor Mary de Haas, are asking in the wake of yet another suspect killed in Durban this week.
Police said former Maphumulo taxi boss Bongani Mkhize, 44, had been "positively linked" to the recent murder of inkosi Mbongeleni Zondi in Umlazi, and had opened fire when police tried to pull his car over. He was killed when police returned fire.
The Mercury disclosed this week that Mkhize had applied to the Durban High Court in October last year for an interdict restraining police from "killing, injuring, threatening, harassing or in any way intimidating" him.In applying for this order, Mkhize claimed he was being sought by the organised crime unit in connection with the murder of Kranskop policeman Supt Zethembe Chonco.At the time seven other suspects wanted for Chonco's murder had been killed in separate incidents, either allegedly resisting arrest or while accompanying police on investigations.
Police consider the Chonco murder case closed, with all suspects killed, but could there be a link between the Chonco case and Zondi's murder?Head of the provincial organised crime unit, Johan Booysen, would not elaborate on this, but said two suspects in the Zondi murder were in custody, and one had made a full confession.
The day before Zondi's murder, five alleged criminals died in a shootout on the N3 near Camperdown after police received a tip-off about nine men headed to Pietermaritzburg to commit a robbery.Ordered to pull over at a roadblock, the suspects opened fire on the police, who returned fire in self-defence, killing five men, said SAPS spokesperson Director Phindile Radebe."This serves as a warning to everybody that the police are serious about fighting fire with fire," responded KwaZulu-Natal Safety and Security MEC Bheki Cele.Since then another 11 suspects have been gunned down in separate incidents in and around Durban, described as "Wild West-style" clashes.In reality, though, such shootouts bear little resemblance to the Wild West.

They are more violent, involving sub-machine guns, AK47s, R4 rifles, hijacked vehicles, criminal syndicates operating with military-style efficiency and elite police units often operating undercover.

"Indeed, it is a war out there," said Institute for Security Studies (ISS) director Johan Burger.Burger said the number of suspects killed had risen significantly recently, as had the number of policemen killed.He said this was despite the actual number of attacks on police having decreased over the past few years.He said concerns that police had become "trigger happy" were understandable, but needed to be seen in the context of the dangers of combating organised crime, and legislation governing use of deadly force."The legislation is very clear. Police can shoot to kill to protect lives, but any incident where police do kill someone is independently investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), irrespective of the circumstances."Burger said he shared editors' concerns that "shoot-to-kill" rhetoric from politicians might have led to a perception that police were "protected and entitled to use more force than they were legally entitled to"."If they are implying that the police must use deadly force when justified, that's fine, but when it is interpreted by police on the ground that they have wider authority to use more force than legally empowered, it becomes very dangerous."He said incidents where police did shoot to kill also needed to be balanced against the realities of crime in South Africa, particularly the fact that criminal gangs had becoming organised, dangerous, and prepared to kill.
Burger said it was a fallacy that police had to wait until they were being shot at before resorting to deadly force."The moment they judge that their lives are in danger, or members of public are threatened, they are entitled to shoot to kill," said Burger.And it's happening - a new era in the war on crime has begun. Who is winning remains to be seen.

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Mthokozisi Jali pleaded guilty to Andrew Main's murder, breaking into his house and aggravated robbery and possession of an AK-47 assault rifle.

Mthokozisi Jali, 34, of Durban, was pleading guilty to Main's murder, breaking into his house and aggravated robbery and possession of an AK-47 assault rifle.Cramond farmer Andrew Main, 53, could have been overpowered and robbed instead of being shot dead on sight, a member of the gang that killed him admitted in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Main was shot dead as soon as he got out of his vehicle at his home last September. Jali is the second of his gang to plead to crimes relating to the incident. On August 26, Mxolisi Gcabashe pleaded guilty to possession of the murder weapon, the AK-47, and was jailed for seven years. A third accused, Mzamo Wiseman Jali, 36, of Cramond, is to stand trial on charges arising from the incident on February 2. A fourth member of the gang, Lucky Ntombela, who Jali alleged had shot Main with the AK-47, was shot dead when he and a policemen wrestled for a gun in an escape bid.Judge Thumba Pillay said he wanted to carefully consider the sentences he should impose, which he will do on Thursday. State counsel Prettygirl Ngcobo asked for the life sentence, saying Jali had been sentenced to 10 years' jail for robbery in 1996. Ngcobo said Jali had admitted during cross-examination that his gang had planned to rob Main of his guns so that they could commit other crimes.Divesh Mootheram, of the Legal Aid Board, said that Jali's remorse in pleading guilty, his apology to the bereaved family and the possibility of rehabilitation were substantial and compelling circumstances, allowing the court to deviate from the prescribed life sentence.Jali said the gang had waited for Main to park his vehicle. As he had alighted, Ntombela had fired and the farmer fell."We examined him; he was dead. We took his keys and Lucky unsuccessfully tried to open the door of Main's home. We broke a few door panels. Mzamo Jali and Lucky went in."They emerged with three firearms and placed them in Main's vehicle."We left in Main's vehicle, driven by Lucky."

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businessman from Durban's Chatsworth area had been arrested on Monday Donovan Pillay died after he was critically injured during a drive-by shooting

A Durban man who was shot six times in a drive-by shooting in Hillary, Durban, last month, died in hospital last night.Police confirmed that Donovan Pillay, 26, the cousin of a prominent Hillary taxi boss, died after he was critically injured during a drive-by shooting on February 19. He was in the intensive care unit after undergoing surgery.Taxi boss Duncan Arumugam's wife, Leanne, had also been shot three times.Police are now investigating a case of murder as well as a case of attempted murder. Although they have remained tight-lipped about a motive for the shooting, many are speculating that February's incident was gang-or-taxi-related.
Four people have been arrested in Durban in connection with a taxi-related drive-by shooting that claimed the life of a 26-year-old man,Police spokesperson Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen confirmed that a businessman from Durban's Chatsworth area had been arrested on Monday on a charge of murdering Donovan Pillay, and for the attempted murder of Pillay's cousin, Leanne Arumugam.
Another three men were arrested last week after being found in possession of the guns that believed to have been used in the shooting.
The three men have so far only been charged with the possession of unlicenced weapons while forensics experts carry out investigations to determine whether the guns were used in the February 19 shooting in Durban's Hillary suburb.
Bellair police told Sapa the weapons have so far been linked to two armed robberies - one in Pinetown and another in Chatsworth.Pillay was taking Arumugam - who is the wife of taxi boss Duncan Arumugam - to work when the incident took place last month.
They were blockaded by two cars on Fourth Street, Hillary, as they were attempting to turn into Stella Road.Occupants of two cars opened fire with AK47s and a 9mm pistol.Pillay sustained five gunshot wounds and was airlifted to Albert Luthuli Hospital while Arumugam was wounded in her arm.Pillay died on Monday.Police said the three suspects appeared in court last week and were due to re-appear in the Durban magistrate's court for a bail application on Thursday.A court date for the appearance of the Chatsworth businessman was yet to be released.
At least 17 drive-by shootings have been reported in the Chatsworth area over the past three years. The arrest on Monday was the first arrest ever made in any of the drive-by shooting cases.Family spokesman Gerald Arumugam said Pillay would be buried at the Mobeni Heights cemetery on Wednesday. - Sapa
Pillay, who was the driver of the vehicle, was shot in the chest, back, stomach and throat and passenger Leanne was shot in the arm. They were driving through the intersection of Fourth Road and Stella Road when they were shot at by the occupants of two vehicles, one in the front and the other behind them.
A police source said rounds from R5-rifles and 9mm pistols were found at the scene. The shooters apparently fled in the direction of Malvern. It is believed the Arumugams had moved from Chatsworth to Hillary last October and that February's attack was the second attempt to kill Duncan Arumugam. The last time Leanne was a victim of a drive-by shooting in 2005, she lost her 5-year-old son, Dredin Lee. At the time, police said they believed the attack was a gang-related hit on Dredin's father Duncan.Duncan was the owner of several taxis and at the time it was thought the shooting was a revenge attack for a 2003 incident for which Duncan and his brother were charged with murder. Both brothers were acquitted in 2006 of two charges of murder in a tavern shooting in Chatsworth where two people were killed.

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Armed robbery at First National Bank

Armed gang stormed into a Durban bank on Friday, holding staff and customers at gunpoint, KwaZulu-Natal police said."Five armed suspects entered, took cash and a customer's vehicle and fled," said Superintendent Willie Olivier of Durban's Organised Crime Unit.The incident took place at the First National Bank (FNB) in the Kloof Village Mall at 10:30am.Police found the vehicle a short distance away.A customer, Shaun Ridley said that the gang also attempted to break into the cash vault."They ordered us to lie on the floor and then they began searching us for wallets," he said.Ridley said the men then went to the vault and demanded the keys from FNB employees"But, they were having difficulty opening the vault and then came back to the cashiers and began taking money from the tills," he said.
Ridley said the gang also took video equipment and cameras from the bank before fleeing.

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Eric Myeza

Eric Myeza, 27, had been helping a customer when he was shot.
"A white Opel Monza drove past the service station and one of the occupants fired shots in Myeza's direction."
Read said that Myeza was struck in the leg by one of the bullets and was taken to hospital where he was reported to be in a stable condition.
In another incident, nearly R100 000 was taken in an armed robbery at the Bishopsgate Post Office in Russell Street in central Durban on Monday.

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20 teachers were held at gunpoint at a Durban school

20 teachers were held at gunpoint at a Durban school on Wednesday as two classes were about to write a matric paper, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
The incident took place in Chatsworth's Savannah Park Secondary School at 07:40, Chatsworth police spokesperson Captain Edmund Singh said.
Two security guards standing at the school's front gate were approached by four armed men who demanded cellphones and directions to the staff room.
"The guards refused to hand over their cellphones."
One of the robbers then took the two guards to the staff room at gunpoint, while the three other suspects kept guard outside the school.
"The robber entered the staff room and held around 23 educators at gunpoint," Singh told Sapa.
Jewellery to the value of R20 000 was taken, along with R20 000 worth of cellphones and about R2 000 in cash.
"When the three suspects outside realised the alarm had been activated, they ran off and hijacked another female educator of her vehicle," said Singh.

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