KwaZulu-Natal's Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is set to meet with key stakeholders on Tuesday to tackle the alarming rise in cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies plaguing the province.
The move comes in response to the latest provincial crime statistics, which reveal a troubling upward trend. Between April and December last year, 32 CIT heists were reported in KZN—up from 26 in the same period in 2022 and 30 the year before that.
Addressing media in Durban on Monday, Mkhwanazi described the situation as a “major policing headache,” and called on the business sector to reduce its reliance on cash transactions to help mitigate the risk of such crimes.
“We are having a problem with this,” he said. “That is why we’ve been urging businesses to minimise the use and movement of cash in trading. Less cash means fewer opportunities for criminals.”
The commissioner also referred to a recent breakthrough, where police shot and killed five suspects believed to be linked to a CIT robbery and cash van explosion on the M25 in KwaMashu just two weeks ago.
In addition to the CIT crisis, Mkhwanazi expressed growing concern over the rise in truck hijackings. He revealed that some law enforcement officials may be complicit in these crimes.
“It is organised crime. Cargo is stolen to be sold elsewhere,” he explained. “We’ve seen officers stopping trucks under the guise of inspections. Once the truck halts, criminals strike. We’re now focusing internally to identify and root out such corruption within our own ranks.”
The upcoming stakeholder meeting aims to strengthen collaboration between police, the private sector, and other agencies in the fight against organised criminal networks in the province.