By Ofentse Mokae
12 November 2009
Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says it is unavoidable that innocent civilians will get shot in the crossfire between police and criminals.
Mbalula was addressing reporters in parliament this afternoon.
The former ANCYL leader defended plans to give officers greater licence to use deadly force.
He says in war with criminals, innocent people are going to die, not deliberately, but in the exchange of fire.
Police have been forced to defend their shoot-to-kill statements as rage mounted over a shooting in which a police officer killed a three-year-old boy.
Police earlier last month also killed a 28 year-old woman who they had mistaken to be hijacker and injured two others in Mabopane near Pretoria.
Mbalula says the recent spate of civilian deaths at police hands can not be blamed on the ministry's call for harsh action against violent criminals.
12 November 2009
Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says it is unavoidable that innocent civilians will get shot in the crossfire between police and criminals.
Mbalula was addressing reporters in parliament this afternoon.
The former ANCYL leader defended plans to give officers greater licence to use deadly force.
He says in war with criminals, innocent people are going to die, not deliberately, but in the exchange of fire.
Police have been forced to defend their shoot-to-kill statements as rage mounted over a shooting in which a police officer killed a three-year-old boy.
Police earlier last month also killed a 28 year-old woman who they had mistaken to be hijacker and injured two others in Mabopane near Pretoria.
Mbalula says the recent spate of civilian deaths at police hands can not be blamed on the ministry's call for harsh action against violent criminals.
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