Positive community sentiment towards KZN police efforts, claims top cop Mkhwanazi
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Community members in KwaZulu-Natal appear to be in a positive mood regarding the work being done by the police, with KZN police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi describing this as an encouraging sign.
Mkhwanazi ,was speaking during a media briefing on the state of policing in the province on the sidelines of a meeting for police commanders and commissioned officers to account for their performance and get clear directives on how to approach the new financial year.
Mkhwanazi said it was encouraging that the mood seemed to be positive among community members regarding the work police were doing in the province.
He said public sentiment on social media largely favours police and when crime issues are discussed online, KZN police receive positive mentions.
Mkhwanazi stated that client satisfaction is a reliable tool to gauge their performance, and when residents feel safe, they will increase their level of trust in the police.
“We have been receiving letters of appreciation and telephone calls talking about the great work that our men and women in blue are doing. It is a great feeling to receive complimentary messages from a satisfied client. We are used to backlash and blame all around, and receiving positive feedback is motivating. With all the public praises that we get, we are mindful of the massive improvement that we need to achieve,” Mkhwanazi said.
Mkhwanazi said that in the last meeting, they instructed commanders to significantly reduce the number of civil claims against the police.
“We understood that if command and control were to be applied as it should, civil claims against the police on unlawful arrest and detention, as well as reckless and negligent driving, could be kept at a minimum,” Mkhwanazi said.
“As a result, in the previous financial year, we have seen a reduction in civil claims against the police from 3,754 to 3,057, a difference of 697 claims.”
Mkhwanazi said commanders have been instructed to reduce these claims further by applying basic policing principles.
“There are people who see the police as a cash cow or an easy road to riches, and as such, they register baseless civil claims against the police.
“In the 2024/2025 financial year, just over R3,3 billion worth of civil claims were registered against the police in the province. Our legal officers managed to fend off the majority of such claims, and where we were found to have been on the wrong side, we paid just over R154 million,’ Mkhwanazi explained.
“This is still a huge amount of money, and proper command and control will help us to further reduce unwarranted civil claims against the police.”
Mkhwanazi added that station commanders are accountable to the people they police in their respective areas; therefore, they have been ordered to have monthly community meetings.
He clarified that the meetings are engagements with the broader community and not meetings with the Community Police Forum.
“This is the platform where community members will tell the station commanders and their management how they want to be policed, the hotspot areas and general concerns,” Mkhwanazi said.
He said station commanders should be worried, if they are unknown to the people they serve and protect.
“Community members are encouraged to attend those meetings so that they get feedback on high-profile cases in the area, new crime trends and tips to keep criminals at bay. These meetings will strengthen the relationship between the police and communities,” Mkhwanazi said.