The police ministry says the fight against police killings in the country is winnable. This is as the number of police officers who die in the line of duty continues to decline.
Twenty-nine police lost their lives so far this year, as compared to 57 last year, nine of them were in the North West.
Police officers killed in the line of duty were remembered at a commemorative event in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
It was a moment to remember the fallen men and women in blue. Among them is 49-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Herman Masilo who died last August.
The lives of his wife, Vuyiswa and their two sons have changed forever.
“I urge other women who, like me, lost their husbands … they must accept and be strong. There was not much we could change. Our husbands died in the line of duty,” says widow Vuyiswa Masilo.
The Provincial Police Commissioner has encouraged all members to stay strong and united.
“Being a member of Saps, you’re part of community. So, we always need to remember the ones we used to work with and to also encourage those still alive that wherever those people dropped the baton, we must pick it up and continue the journey of ensuring that the community of South Africa are safe,” says Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane.
He also confirmed that a North West police officer, who was over-powered and shot by waiting trail prisoners, died on Sunday morning. The incident happened inside police cells at Letlhabile Police Station, near Brits on Tuesday last week.
“We are here to commemorate our fallen heroes and heroines. And we are here to remind the family to say God is with us. We are having detention management policies in place. We’re always ensuring that our members, when reporting on duty, they are operationally ready, and they are also streetwise. This is to ensure that our members are always ready to ensure that they are always ready for any eventualities.”
MEC for Public Safety in North West Dr Mpho Motlabane says, “We encourage all of us to reflect. This is part of who we are. You can’t cut the bond that existed between the service and those who need to be in our police service and their families.”
It is hoped that more lives will be saved in the next financial year. – Author-Jake Mokoma
