KwaZulu-Natal has long been known for its rich farmlands and agricultural fairs, but a darkly humorous twist has emerged after provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, made a controversial remark that has sent shockwaves across the province.
Speaking during a recent engagement, Mkhwanazi boldly claimed that the work of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in KZN could be compared to farming, saying: “What we as the police in KZN do can basically be called agriculture. We put more bodies into the ground than nature allows.”
The comment, intended or not, has ignited fierce debate. While farmers continue to struggle with drought, pests, and delayed government subsidies, the police, critics argue, appear to be “thriving” in their own version of farming — only this time, it is not maize or cattle, but human casualties filling up the soil.
Community members have quickly picked up on the grim irony, sarcastically renaming SAPS as “South African Planting Services.” Residents joke that the force seems to be cultivating two crops consistently: crime statistics and the cemetery business.
Local undertakers, too, have joined in on the mockery. “We’re overwhelmed,” one funeral director quipped. “Honestly, we need a tractor now just to keep up with all the new holes being dug. At this rate, the police deserve a stand at the Royal Show agricultural fair in Pietermaritzburg. Forget pumpkins and prize bulls — bring us their planting schedule.”
The remark has also fueled criticism from civic organizations and opposition politicians, who argue that such rhetoric trivializes the growing crisis of violent crime and political killings in the province. Many say it reflects the deep mistrust between citizens and the police, with accusations that the force is more reactive than preventative, turning policing into a grim numbers game.
Others, however, defended Mkhwanazi, suggesting that his statement was more of a frustrated metaphor, aimed at pushing his officers to recognize the scale of killings in KZN. A few even interpreted it as an attempt to use humor to highlight the severity of the province’s violence epidemic.
Meanwhile, in an unexpected twist, the Department of Agriculture humorously weighed in, noting that “if police in KZN can grow body counts this effectively in harsh conditions, perhaps they could lend a hand in the farming sector. Imagine what they could do with tomatoes.”
As the public continues to debate the remark, one thing remains clear: the people of KwaZulu-Natal are demanding more from their police than just “planting.” They want protection, accountability, and a harvest of justice — not funerals.