National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele has again told members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to "use deadly force" against criminals.

"If somebody uses a camera to shoot you, smile. But when they use anything else to shoot you, use deadly force before anybody uses it - and don't miss," he said at the launch of the police's festive season campaign in Sandton, Johannesburg on Monday.

Cele said he had never used the term "shoot-to-kill" and he was not about to.

"I've told the police: not shoot to kill, but they must use deadly force against criminals.

"Criminals are brutal and heartless. They come into your house. They rape the wife and force the husband to watch. You cannot tell me that is a human being," he said.

"That is an animal and I do not know how many human rights he has if he behaves like an animal.

"What right do you have when you have taken my ultimate right, when you have taken my life out of me, which is an ultimate right," Cele asked.

"If you go and you rape a young woman. If you rape a six-year-old, you rape an 11-year-old, you kill the father. They get in the house, they rape the daughters, they shoot everybody, they go out. Tell me, what right that person has?

"Human rights belong to humans. Let those who fight for the rights of animals, they should include the rights of criminals."

The ideal South Africa was one where a young woman could walk home in the middle of the night without fear of being raped, abused or attacked, he said.

"They [criminals] must understand the season has changed," said Cele.

Last year a total of 105 policemen were killed in the line of duty and the year before that 107 were killed, he said.

"We are sick and tired of criminals in this country... this far and no further."

Cele's call for deadly force was supported by the Deputy Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula, who said detractors of the policy would not demoralise the government.

"We agree that the police must use deadly force, in defence of the innocent and also in their own defence," he said.

"Shoot-to-kill is not a government policy and Section 49 [of the Criminal Procedures Act) is not the alpha and omega," he said.

Mbalula said he empathised with people who lost loved ones owing to the recklessness of police.

He said, however: "We are not going to let anyone blackmail us in our efforts to protect the police against brutality by the criminals.

"The criminals' graves are coming. Those who are lucky will spend the festive season in orange overalls."

Mbalula said the police were doing a thankless job.

"No police officer knows and understands the words 'thank you', because every time somebody goes to a police station, they always complain --even in instances where the police have done a good job."