Shoot the bastards... and shoot to kill: South African minister tells police to show criminals no mercy

Police in South Africa were ordered yesterday to deal with criminals by "killing the bastards".

Susan Shabangu, the country's security minister, told officers not to worry about regulations, negotiations or warning shots.

Instead, police should use the guns given to them and go for the kill.

South Africa has become the murder capital of the world with more than 22,000 deaths a year.

Rape, pistol-whipping and torture are commonplace.

England and Wales, with a population little larger than that of South Africa, have around 700 murders a year.

Mrs Shabangu's comments came at a public meeting to discuss her government's response to soaring crime rates.

Aiming her words at police chiefs, she said of criminals: "You must kill the bastards if they threaten you or the community. You must not worry about the regulations - that is my responsibility. Your responsibility is to serve and protect.

"I want no warning shots. You have one shot and it must be a kill shot.

"Criminals are hell-bent on undermining the law and they must now be dealt with. End of story. There are to be no negotiations with criminals."

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South Africans who can afford it live behind high walls and fences, with alarms and 24-hour guards to protect them against robbery or attack.

For every day in 2006-2007, the country saw 57 murders, 120 rapes and 37 carjackings. More than 150,000 criminals are behind bars.

Much of the lawlessness takes place in the townships surrounding major cities - with drugs, alcohol and unemployment often blamed.

In the past few years, the violence has spilled into suburbs and white areas. More than 100 policemen were shot dead last year, on and off duty.

Mrs Shabangu's outburst won a standing ovation from her audience in the capital, Pretoria.

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Opposition MPs, however, called on President Thabo Mbeki to sack her.

Dianne Kohler Barnard, of Democratic Alliance, said: "The death rate is high and horrendous, but to listen to a rabble-rousing politician is the last thing our police need."

The country's human rights commission also condemned Mrs Shabangu's remarks.

But Pieter Groenewald, of Freedom Front Plus, another opposition party, said criminals should no longer be handled with kid gloves.

Ryan Schnell, chairman of a community policing group in Durban, said: "If the life of a policeman is threatened in any way, they should shoot and the criminals must understand that they will be killed if they break the law."

Mrs Shabangu - a 52-year-old widow with three children - was raised in the infamous Soweto township outside Johannesburg.

She takes a hands-on role at her ministry and is a strong supporter of the country's 160,000 police.

At the meeting, she said: "We need communities to get involved with us in order to restore law and order and in order for our country to have a future. If we don't, our children won't have a future.

"I want to assure the police station commissioners and policemen and women from these areas that they have permission to kill these criminals.

"I won't tolerate any pathetic excuses for you not being able to deal with crime. You have been given guns, now use them."

Yesterday, Mrs Shabangu received backing from her immediate boss, safety and security minister Charles Nqakula.

Fano Makhathini, of the Police and Prison Union, said officers should not take the remarks as a licence to shoot randomly.

"Police must use firearms only when their lives are in danger - they cannot misuse them," he added.