KZN SAPS Arrest Officers for Various Crimes During Festive Season, SA Praises General Mkhwanazi
- Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi provided an update about festive season operations in KwaZulu-Natal
- The Provincial Police Commissioner conducted a visit along the beachfront with KZN Premier, Thamsanqa Ntuli
- South Africans took to social media to praise General Mkhwanazi and the work done by the police in the province
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Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
KWAZULU-NATAL – Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in KZN are clamping down on crime in the province, even arresting their own colleagues.
That’s according to Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who was briefing the media about the festive season operations in the province.
The KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner made the admission while conducting a visit to the Durban Beach Front along with KZN Premier, Thamsanqa Ntuli, on 1 January 2026.
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Lieutenant General Mkhwazi details recent arrests
During the festive season safety awareness campaign, Mkhwanazi spoke about some of the recent cases during the festive season where police engaged with criminals in shootouts. He also noted that it wasn’t just criminals that police had to deal with.
“We are also disturbed by the fact that we tend to arrest some of our own, for different types of crimes, ranging from drunken driving to robberies,” he said.
General Mkhwanazi explained that police officers were arrested on 31 December 2025 after they went into a shop to rob and kidnap someone. They were using their state-issued firearms to commit the crime. He also noted that it wasn’t just SAPS members who were arrested.
"There are many other arrests that have happened that involve different law enforcement, from metro police as well as some of them from correctional services," General Mkhwanazi added.
He stated that the safety of the community, citizens and guests in KZN was their number one priority, and they would not stop.
Premier commits to keeping KZN safe
During his walkabout and interaction with beach goers along the Ushaka Marine and the South Beach precinct, Ntuli said that the safety of holiday makers was the utmost priority for all law enforcement agencies and the provincial government.
The Premier also called on holiday makers to respect and uphold the rule of law at all times, as the province has been inundated with visitors.
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South Africans praise General Mkhwanazi
With the general and premier conducting visits on the beachfront, South Africans praised the KZN Police Commissioner for his commitment to keeping citizens safe.
@Kiffy92 stated:
“The General commands respect. Look at his posture.”
@BlosoNketsi added:
“People are happy to see our national hero, the General himself.”
Xolani Gasa stated:
“KZN is in good hands.”
Bernie Govender said:
“The highest respect to the General. We appreciate him.”
Munya Taurai added:
“We are glad that the police kept our township safe this holiday. Keep it up.”
Diana Angelo stated:
“Halala General Mkhwanazi. We salute you. We wish you would open a political party; we will surely vote for you to be our President.”
CJ Steenkamp noted:
“He is a man on the ground, between his people. He is not an office general.”
General Mkhwanazi warns of insider involvement in cash-in-transit heists
Briefly News also reported that General Mkhwanazi said some cash-in-transit heists may involve inside help from security company employees.
The KZN Police Commissioner's comments came after a dramatic heist on the N2 in Durban, where a cash vehicle was ambushed after breaking down.
General Mkhwanazi questioned how criminals knew about the vehicle’s location and confirmed the driver is under investigation.
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Source: Briefly News
