Nqakula was again criticized while he was in Burundi, promoting peace and democracy, while there was a spate of violent crime in Gauteng. This spate included the killings of an alarming number of people, including members of the South African Police Service killed while performing their duties. The criticism preceded a subsequent announcement by the minister that an all out effort would be made to quell the alarming increase of crime by 30 December 2006. 54 police officers have lost their lives in the first 7 months of 2006.