President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to 12 South African Police Service (SAPS) members who lost their lives in the line of duty during the past financial year.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the SAPS National Commemoration Day at the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Sunday, where he said the officers should be remembered not as statistics, but as parents, children, colleagues and friends who never returned home.
Nine of the fallen officers were from Gauteng, while North West, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga each recorded one death. The youngest officer was 25 years old, while the only woman on this year’s Roll of Honour was a mother of three from Temba Police Station.
Ramaphosa said several officers were killed while responding to business robbery complaints, transporting awaiting-trial prisoners and conducting routine patrols and crime prevention duties.
He said there has been a significant decline in police killings in recent years, crediting operational interventions, police safety initiatives and partnerships with communities and the private sector.
However, he stressed that even one officer killed is one too many.
The President also highlighted the SAPS “Think First – Act Safe: Every Call, Every Time” Police Safety Action Plan, which aims to improve the safety of officers and police infrastructure.
He called on communities to report threats and reject criminality, while urging businesses to support SAPSET, which has assisted more than 2,200 children of fallen officers.
Ramaphosa said ongoing scrutiny of the SAPS should be used to strengthen the institution, restore public trust and improve police accountability and performance.
