Durban Beachgoers Hail KZN Police Boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi During New Year’s Day Walkabout

Durban beachgoers showered KwaZulu-Natal’s top cop, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, with praise during a New Year’s Day walkabout along the beachfront.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli accompanied Mkhwanazi as the pair conducted a festive season safety awareness campaign.

Ntuli appeared content to play second fiddle to the popular police commissioner, whose presence drew loud chants of appreciation from thousands of excited beachgoers.

In a light-hearted moment, Ntuli told the media that the crowds immediately recognised Mkhwanazi and repeatedly called out his name.

“I even thought that I was supposed to hide him in the offices. Maybe it was not going to be so crazy,” Ntuli joked, referring to the overwhelming response to the police chief.

“That is how the good work of the police is recognised by the people of the province of KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.

Ntuli explained that the purpose of the walkabout was to assess safety as the festive season drew to a close.

“Ours is to see whether our citizens are safe during the conclusion of the festive season. We know that some people are coming from afar — even outside of our province and outside of our country. When they see the likes of General Mkhwanazi, together with members of the SAPS, metro police and other safety structures, they gain confidence in the safety and security on our beaches,” Ntuli said.

He noted that the heavily crowded beaches pointed to a significant increase in tourism and economic activity, which he attributed to improved safety and security in the province.

“We are quite proud of our men and women in blue who are doing the work. We thank them for the wonderful job they are doing. Even the rescue teams here are doing excellent work. As the provincial government, we are happy with the work of the police during this season,” Ntuli said.

Addressing questions about Mkhwanazi’s contract renewal, Ntuli said such matters are not discussed in the media, but rather through appropriate engagement channels.

He added that he had long been on record expressing confidence in Mkhwanazi’s leadership.

“I said a long time ago that I would give concurrence whenever I am required to for him to continue, because he is doing good work. Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is a police officer of integrity, and I see no reason — when I witness such stability and such an aggressive fight against crime — to think otherwise,” Ntuli said.

“I am quite happy. It will be up to him whether he accepts or not, but from my side, on behalf of the people of KwaZulu-Natal, we are happy with the work he and the police are doing in the province. Hence, I would have no hesitation in giving a yes for Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to continue.”

Mkhwanazi said the New Year’s Day walkabout allowed the premier to see first-hand what law enforcement had achieved during the festive season.

“Thus far, we are about to complete the third phase of our operations today (Thursday), and tomorrow (Friday) we will start the fourth and final phase, which will run until the end of January. These are operations specifically for the festive season,” he said.

He added that police operations were still ongoing and had already resulted in numerous arrests.

Mkhwanazi also highlighted a rise in shooting incidents in which suspects died after engaging police officers, and said the service was troubled by the arrest of some of its own members for crimes ranging from drunken driving to robbery.

Despite these challenges, Mkhwanazi thanked officers for their continued efforts and urged them to remain focused as festive season operations conclude, reminding them of their core mandate to protect the public.

DAILY NEWS