By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Acting President Paul Mashatile has paid tribute to the 39 South African Police Service (SAPS) officers who were killed in the line of duty during the 2023/24 financial year.
On Sunday, a large contingent of SAPS police officers and government officials came together at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to honour the men and women who put their lives on the line and died in the line of duty.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and the National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola will accompany Mashatile.
The families of the slain officers, including children, wives and husbands, were also in attendance, with the children sat on the grass in front of the deputy president, the minister and the top government officials.
Mashatile acknowledged that being a police officer was one of the most dangerous occupations and one may feel anxious knowing that they may leave their family for work and never return.
“In your defence, you must show criminals that you are in charge. You must act decisively, using proportionate force in line with the threat you are facing according to legal provisions. You must intensify your efforts to guarantee that you defeat crime.”
Mashatile said the country must strive to attain the United Nations’ suggested ratio of one police officer for every 220 persons. He said the police-to-population ratio in South Africa has recently increased, rising from about 1:353 in 2014 to 1:427 in 2023.
He told the police officers gathered at the Union Buildings that the 39 members being commemorated had entrusted them with a significant duty to carry on the baton and guarantee peace and order.
“May you never tire of serving your nation by working harder to imprison all offenders in honour of your fallen colleagues. In the honour of these gallant crime fighters, you must remain unshaken in your resolve to keep our communities safe. May you uphold the integrity of the badge and relentlessly strive to bring those responsible for any police officer’s death to justice,”he said.
Mashatile said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, commonly known as the Hawks, had arrested 18 suspected police killers between April and June this year.
Twelve of them were convicted and sentenced to a cumulative 139 years imprisonment. The court sentenced one of the killers to life in prison.
The Hawks’ work is ongoing to bring justice to the families who lost their loved ones in the fight against crime, he said, adding that other cases are pending in court and that he hoped they would receive harsh sentences.
“Of grave concern is the fact that, since 2021, inclusive of today, we have commemorated a total of 140 police men and women who lost their lives in the hands of criminals while performing their official duties.
“This number is alarmingly high, especially considering that these are men and women who have the potential to lead the future SAPS to a crime-free South Africa, “Mashatile said.
The Acting President emphasised that it was imperative for a collaborative approach to resolving internal challenges, including low morale among members, SAPS members involved in criminal activities, and ageing infrastructure, in order to enable the police to fulfil their constitutional obligations.
“Fighting crime should not only be the SAPS responsibility; communities are expected to work with the police to fight criminal activity, protect their properties, and help identify criminals.
Mchunu said, we must make sure the police have enough tools to support their counterattack against criminals. We also need to find a balance to address the major issue of an increasing population, which police recruits simply cannot keep up with”.
An assault on SAPS is a direct attack on the state, and we must take action against individuals who perpetrate this crime, which is equal to treason.
Masemola said, police officers must not die with their service firearms on their holsters when criminals refuse to surrender and start firing at police. When a shootout ensues between police and criminals, police have a duty to protect their lives, as well as those of their colleagues and all community members.