Deadly Police Operations in KZN

Statement by Mzamo Billy MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice:

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will formally call on the Ministry of Police to urgently brief Parliament on the stalled rollout of police body-worn cameras, amid a growing number of fatal South African Police Service (SAPS) operations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Over the past few days alone, several police operations in the province have resulted in the deaths of suspects, raising serious concerns about transparency, accountability and the absence of independently verifiable evidence during lethal encounters.

Most recently, five criminal suspects were shot and killed during a confrontation with SAPS members in Bester, KwaZulu-Natal. The suspects were reportedly wanted for murder, attempted murder and armed robbery, and police allege that they opened fire during an attempted arrest. Four firearms were reportedly recovered at the scene.

This follows reports that two murder suspects were shot and killed during a shootout with police in Amaoti, Durban. The suspects were reportedly sought by the SAPS Inanda Task Team for multiple serious crimes, including murders committed earlier this week. Police reports indicate that firearms were recovered following the incident.

These cases come on the heels of the tragic SAPS operation in Port Shepstone, during which businessman Mr Gasela and his security guard were killed. In each of these incidents, police statements indicate that suspects fired first.

While such claims are serious and must be properly tested, the repeated reliance on this explanation—without independently verifiable, objective evidence—undermines public confidence and highlights a critical gap in oversight. Each incident involving the use of lethal force must be assessed on its own evidence by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and, where applicable, the courts.

It is precisely for this reason that the DA has consistently pushed for the rollout of police body-worn cameras. The former Minister of Police publicly committed to implementing body-worn cameras from April 2025. That deadline has now passed, yet Parliament and the public have received no meaningful update on the status, funding, scope or timelines of this rollout.

In my capacity as a DA Member of the NCOP and a member of the Select Committee on Security and Justice, I have repeatedly raised the urgent need for body-worn cameras during committee engagements.

These devices are essential to:

• provide objective, verifiable evidence of police operations;
• ensure accountability when lethal force is used;
• protect both civilians and police officers by establishing the facts; and
• restore public trust in policing and criminal justice outcomes.

The continued absence of body-worn cameras places everyone at risk. Police officers are left exposed to contested versions of events, while communities are left without independent proof when lives are lost during SAPS operations.

The DA therefore calls on the Ministry of Police to urgently account to Parliament on the failure to implement body-worn cameras, to provide clear and binding timelines for their rollout, and to ensure that this long-promised reform is implemented without further delay.

Policing in South Africa must be grounded in accountability, transparency and the protection of life. Parliament cannot be kept in the dark while deadly encounters continue to rise.