By Sihle Mavuso
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has narrated how frustrating it is for police officers to arrest a drug dealer only for the courts to release him or her with a light sentence on the basis that prisons are full.
Mkhwanazi said overcrowded prisons were undermining efforts to combat crime, drugs and other offences in the province.
Mkhwanazi was speaking in Durban on Friday while responding to questions from the media after a meeting between police, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, government agencies and anti-illegal immigration groups, including the March and March Movement, amid protests in parts of the province and elsewhere in the country.
He said the work of dedicated police officers and the judiciary was being compromised by a shortage of prison space.
Mkhwanazi said suspects arrested with small quantities of drugs rarely end up serving prison sentences because of overcrowding in correctional facilities.
“The chances of finding a person dealing in drugs with a small consignment being sent to prison are very small,” he said.
“Those found with large consignments usually end up in correctional services, but those arrested on the streets are often convicted and given alternative sentences instead of imprisonment.”
He said overcrowding in prisons was forcing courts to impose lesser punishments, which he argued failed to deter repeat offenders or provide meaningful rehabilitation.
“As police, we see a cycle where suspects are arrested, taken through the court process, found guilty, given lighter sentences and then return to the streets to continue committing the same offences,” Mkhwanazi said.
He called for more prisons to be built to accommodate convicted offenders.
Meanwhile, Ntuli said the fight against illegal immigration will not stop and warned vigilante groups to leave it to law enforcement agencies.
However, he still insisted that all illegal immigrants should leave the country and come back through lawful channels if they wish to stay in the country.
He also stressed that the fight against illegal immigration is not about the province being xenophobic, but about the rule of law.
“KwaZulu-Natal will continue to welcome all people who are in our country lawfully, who contribute positively to our economy and communities, and who respect the laws of the Republic of South Africa,” Ntuli said.
“At the same time, we will act decisively against criminality, exploitation and undocumented activities that undermine public safety and economic justice and social cohesion. Today we reaffirm a simple but powerful principle: we can defend the rule of law without abandoning human dignity.”
Taking questions from the media, the leader of the March and March Movement, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma had harsh words for African governments saying South Africa is xenophobic and they must act.
She said it is surprising that these African governments have failed their citizens, but want to have a voice in South African affairs.
“I am talking about people who slaughter people who slaughter their people in front of cameras, you have never heard a single African make noise about it,” she lashed out.
“They don’t care about that, their biggest thing is about South Africa because they know very well that they stand to benefit more from the resources and the minerals that they exploit from each other’s countries, that’s why they keep quiet.”
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