By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Constable Keamogetswe Buys, the last of three officers found dead in the Hennops River, was laid to rest in Thaba Nchu, Free State.
30 year old Buys was one of the three police officers whose bodies were retrieved from Hennops river in Centurion, Gauteng.
The officers were en route from the Free State to Polokwane in Limpopo on official police duty. Their bodies were retrieved from the Hennops River in Centurion last week, following a tragic car accident.
Constable Boipelo Senoge, 24, was laid to rest on Thusrday, while Constable Cebekhulu Linda laid to rest on Friday.
A somber atmosphere enveloped the Grassland Hall in Bloemfontein on Saturday (10/5), as mourners gathered to bid farewell to the late Const.Buys.
The funeral service was attended by several dignitaries, including Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale, Free State MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, and National Police Commissioner, Gen. Fannie Masemola.
Speaking at the funeral, Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae made a heartfelt appeal to communities to forge stronger relationships with the police, emphasising the role of unity in the fight against crime.
“It’s my hope that one day, when this nightmare is a distant memory, the people in our province will appreciate the three officers for their gallant efforts to keep us all safe,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
“We will hopefully realise that theirs was the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of South Africa and its people. It’s my wish that, with these deaths, our people will form strong relationships with the police and realise that men and women in blue are not our enemies, not anymore. Working together, we can eliminate criminalities in our communities.”
The deceased’s grieving husband, Linda Diba, spoke tenderly about their life together and the love they shared, especially with their child.
“I know that wherever she is, she is smiling and looking over us,” he said.
Masemola said, Constable, Keamogetswe Buys was deployed in a very scarce skill environment within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and her knowledge will be missed.
Masemola has emphasised the importance of honouring those who serve, saying Buys’s official funeral, marked by the national flag, is a symbol of her service and sacrifice.
“To the Buys family, walk proud that after this tragic loss, the South African Police Service, after you asked for an official funeral, the provincial commissioner did approve that out of protocol and policy and you see the national flag on the body of constable Buys so you must walk proud that she is honoured.”
The Deputy Police Minister, Cassel Mathale has hailed Buys as a patriot committed to serving the public.
Mathale said her discipline and work ethic earned her a part in the Crime Intelligence Unit just under two years in the police service.
He said, constable Buys showed qualities of one of the best SAPS members.
He said, “The journey she had embarked on was indeed not a leisure journey but a journey of duty, of national service, of honour, even though constable buys was only two year in the service, she had already made her mark within the Intelligence Unit of SAPS, the unit she was serving under, a space that demands discretion, discipline and unwavering commitment.”
Meanwhile police officers have been killed in just three months. The majority of them – 16 – were off-duty at the time of their murder.
This is according to Hawks boss Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya who was speaking at the release of the fourth quarterly results on Thursday.
Lebeya said an attack on police officials is an assault on society and an attack on the State.
“We categorised the killing of police officials as a national priority offence that requires the attention of the Hawks.”
Fifty percent of the murders took place in Gauteng.
Concerning police killings, Lebeya said 38 people were arrested, 14 convictions secured, and 11 life imprisonments handed down by the courts.