The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Young Communist League of South Africa (uFasimba) has for quite some time been discussing the "war talk on crime" by the police leadership in the Ministry and the Services. We have been anticipating policy discussions from the Ministry, and will therefore be commenting on the proposed amendments.
However, we are forced to break our silence after a woman was shot dead yesterday morning in Pretoria under suspicion of car-jacking.
We are obviously not as naive to suggest that the killing of the woman was perpetrated by the "war-talk on crime", but this case shows the consequences of giving police a licence to kill.We understand the pressure from our government to deal with violent crimes and criminals; however, we are worried on giving police a monopoly of violence and to kill.
Some of the preliminary concerns that we wish to raise are as follows:
· Fighting crime cannot only be a dealt with through violence because crime is also a social problem, we need to address the social problems that result in crime together with dealing with the crime;
· We may be effectively be giving, indirectly, the police a right to sentence people to death without any trial and the right to appear in court;
· We are also concerned that the "shoot to kill" sentiment may indirectly bring back the death penalty, and therefore, may result in constitutional infringements;
· We hold the view that no one, especially the state, should have the right to kill anybody, including criminals.
· What does turning the police into a para-military force mean? There are clear reasons why there is a huge difference in the powers, roles and scope between the police and the army, and that turning the police into a para-military can be more dangerous than crime itself.
We send our condolences to the bereaved family and hope that the ICD will promptly investigate the matter and ensure that those who bridged the law are brought to book. We also want to call on the Minister of Police and the Police Commissioner not to inflame the fingers of the police that may be waiting to fire the trigger in the name of fighting crime. As we strengthen the SAPS against crime, we must equally take into strong consideration the right to life, for everyone.