Cachalia urges lawful policing over ‘shoot to kill’ rhetoric
Incoming acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has firmly dismissed calls for police to adopt a “shoot to kill” approach to combat the nation’s escalating crime rates.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sunday Times deputy editor Mike Siluma, Cachalia emphasized that granting police a so-called “license to kill” is not the answer to South Africa’s violent and organized crime challenges.
Appointed as acting minister effective August 1, 2025, following controversy involving former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Cachalia advocated for professional, lawful policing.
“Tough talk doesn’t reduce crime,” he stated, warning that such rhetoric risks encouraging unlawful actions by officers, potentially leading to their criminalization.
Cachalia stressed the importance of well-trained police and skilled detective work operating within legal boundaries to tackle crime effectively.
Professor Cachalia is playing per book, unfortunately the reality on the ground is different. He needs to be involved in botch-up car hijacking to understand the gravity of crime in South Africa. Criminals shoot at cops on sight. Just a police uniform is enough to trigger fire on them. He well advised to spend one month of his time in office in Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN) to grasp the real situation on the ground.