The Democratic Alliance (DA) in uMzinyathi welcomes the swift and coordinated response by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and private security partners in halting a cash-in-transit heist in rural Msinga yesterday evening.
We are further calling for rural safety reinforcements in uMzinyathi.
Reports confirm that two suspects were fatally wounded during a shootout, while two others, including a dismissed former G4S employee, were apprehended. Firearms were recovered, and an operation to track down additional suspects is still underway.
This dramatic event comes less than three weeks after the DA in uMzinyathi visited Ward 13 in Msinga, where residents raised serious concerns about rising violent crime and the lack of visible policing. This incident underscores those concerns and highlights how criminal syndicates are exploiting rural areas where the state presence is weakest.
While we commend SAPS and their partners for acting swiftly, one successful interception does not mask the deeper problem. We face a chronic failure to protect rural communities through sustained, intelligence-led, and community-anchored policing.
The DA in uMzinyathi will:
• Write to the KZN Provincial Police Commissioner to request an urgent briefing on the current state of rural policing, and what additional measures are being deployed to protect communities in Msinga and surrounding areas.
• Push for the urgent deployment of additional SAPS resources and specialist units to rural hotspots in uMzinyathi.
• Advocate for expanded rural safety programmes, including properly supported community policing forums (CPFs) and neighbourhood watch networks.
• Demand a review of how ex-security personnel with insider knowledge are being monitored or exploited by criminal syndicates.
The people of Msinga and the broader uMzinyathi District deserve more than reactive policing. They deserve a justice system that is present, proactive, and fully equipped to protect their lives, livelihoods, and dignity.