Acting Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Major General Phumelele Makoba during an address to all commissioned officers at the Durban Christian Centre Jesus Dome in Mayville.
Image: KZN SAPS
KwaZulu-Natal police say contact crimes in the province have continued to decline over the past two years, while warning that unlawful conduct during planned anti-undocumented migrant marches scheduled for June 30 will be met with law enforcement action.
Addressing a provincial policing briefing on Tuesday, acting KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Major General Phumelele Makoba said police had intensified preparations to maintain order ahead of demonstrations expected across the province.
Makoba said murder cases declined by 14.8% during the 2025/26 financial year, while attempted murder dropped by 6.7%. Sexual offences also recorded a slight decrease of 1.1%.
Police linked the trend partly to increased visibility and partnerships with community structures, including Community Police Forums.
From April 2025 to date, police arrested 189,843 suspects across various categories of crime in the province. Of these, 55,269 arrests were linked to contact crimes including murder, attempted murder, rape, assault, and robbery.
During the same period, officers recovered 4,542 firearms and more than 77,000 rounds of ammunition.
Makoba said crimes against women and children remained a priority area, with the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit arresting 7,026 suspects for rape since April 2025. The unit secured 498 convictions.
“These convictions resulted in 4,499 years of imprisonment and 109 life sentences,” she said.
Police also highlighted operational risks faced by officers, revealing that 33 shootout incidents had occurred since April 2025, resulting in 91 suspects being fatally wounded.
Responding to criticism over police tactics, Makoba defended officers’ actions and reiterated that police would continue to “stamp the authority of the state” while urging suspects to surrender during operations.
The briefing also focused heavily on migration-related policing.
According to police, 8,556 foreign nationals had been arrested for contravening immigration laws since April 2025. Authorities also sanctioned 221 employers accused of employing undocumented foreign nationals, with Amajuba, eThekwini, and uMgungundlovu emerging as the most affected districts.
The briefing comes amid growing mobilisation around planned marches calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
Makoba cautioned participants against taking the law into their own hands.
“We have been made aware that there were people who were conducting searches on fellow civilians and demanded proof of identification during marches,” she said.
She stressed that civilians are not permitted to search individuals or demand identification documents, adding that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of law enforcement agencies.
Police said organisers had assured authorities that demonstrations planned for 30 June would remain peaceful.
Makoba reminded participants that the Regulation of Gatherings Act prohibits attendees from carrying firearms, imitation firearms, and dangerous weapons during gatherings.
She said the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PROVJOINTS), working with law enforcement agencies, government departments, Business Against Crime, and private security partners, had developed a comprehensive operational plan to maintain stability.
Police intelligence teams and drone technology would also be deployed.
“The 30 June 2026 is a normal Tuesday, a working day in South Africa. Police will be out to ensure that those who are going to work and going about their businesses do so without fear of intimidation,” Makoba said.
She warned that acts of intimidation, public violence, road blockades, and incitement would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
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