Shoot to kill in South Africa

President throws his weight behind calls for tougher policing against criminals

Alarmed at his country's "abnormally violent crime rate," South Africa's president Jacob Zuma yesterday threatened criminals with a shoot to kill policy.

The announcement re-ignited a debate on the rights of criminals in a country where 50 people are murdered every day.

"Criminals don't take an oath to do warning shots," Zuma told about 1,000 police commanders in Pretoria.

The meeting was aimed at finding ways of strengthening the police service.

Radical reforms at the meeting announced at the meeting, included changing the police service back into a police force, militarising the ranks, amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code, possibly reforming a person's right to remain silent and the definition of a suspect.