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Citizens demand renewal of Mkhwanazi's contract to combat crime

Justice system

Nadia Khan|Published

Thousands of citizens gathered at Curries Fountain for a peaceful demonstration in support of KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Image: Leon Lestrade

THERE has been unwavering support for Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi since his explosive media briefing last Sunday.

On Tuesday, thousands of people joined the group, Concerned Citizens of South Africa (CCSA) in a peaceful demonstration, “#Mkhwanazi is us & we are Mkhwanazi”,  at the Curries Fountain.

Pastor Mervyn Reddy, a community activist, who coordinated the mobilisation of residents from Phoenix to attend the demonstration, said they were in full support of Mkhwanazi. 

He said residents also took to the streets in Phoenix on Monday night, to show their support. 

“Phoenix has been plagued with criminal activities such as drug dealing, robberies, and hijackings, among crimes. Crime is eroding our community. If we as law abiding citizens don’t stand with people like Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi who are taking a stand for truth and righteousness, then we must continue to stand in the corridors and complain that nothing is being done. 

“As South Africans we must support a man, who has put himself at the frontline; his family and those close to him at risk in order to rid our communities of crime and corruption. We are now saying ‘hands off Mkhwanazi’, and calling for his contract to be renewed for another five years so that he can continue to clean up the province, before the rot grows to such an extent that we won’t be able to control it,” he said.

Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the Gift of the Givers, also called on citizens to back Mkhwanazi.

“Leadership, bravery, courage, intelligence, pragmatism, fairness and justice appears in the form of Lieutenan- General Mkhwanazi; who challenges superiors, management, politicians, lawmakers and the system itself, in the interest of the citizens of our beloved country.

“The Gift of the Givers stands behind this honourable man. He represents everything that is right in the SAPS, confronting organised crime in the form of CIT heists, drug dealing, corrupt politicians and civil servants, tenderpreneurs, construction mafia, taxi gangsters, hijackers, and those defeating the ends of justice within all facets of the criminal justice system. 

“Here is a servant of the law who inspires his own teams to be fearless, courageous and decisive in confronting everything that is rotten to the core in our society. We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa, to personally give this servant of the State a hearing on the current allegations, and on how to improve the crime fighting capability of the State and fully support him as the president has done so previously by calling for the establishment of a task team to deal with political killings so rife in KZN. 

"Given the current budgetary constraints, it is imperative that as patriotic citizens and corporations, we give our unrestricted support to Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi in the fight against crime, South Africa's number one enemy, which has a major influence on preventing economic growth and development,” he said. 

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