Police and residents say no to police killings

Hundreds of residents and police officers remembered the police officers who were slain in Jeppestown earlier this year during a recent march.

The march was led by the Hillbrow SAPS Cluster and its community police forum on October 16.

Earlier this year, Warrant Officer Sibusiso Ndlovu from the Cleveland SAPS and Constable Celimpilo Hlabisa from the Jeppe SAPS, were killed in Jeppestown following a shootout between the police and suspects in separate incidents when they responded to business robberies.

Their deaths sparked condemnation from national government, national police leadership and the community at large.

During the commemoration, the procession marched from the Jeppe Police Station to Jeppestown, where Const Hlabisa was killed.

Participants sang songs and chanted slogans, denouncing crime and police killings. Wreaths were laid where Const Hlabisa was killed.

The wreath laying was in commemoration of both police officers.

Warrant Officer Reverend Musa Shihambe said police officers do not go to work to be killed.

“Our aim is to protect this country – not to be killed like dogs,” he said.

Mr Simphiwe Mhlongo, an Induna from the Jeppe Hostel, denounced the police killings.

“We as residents at the Jeppe Hostel denounce these killings and crime in general. We know that after committing these horrendous crimes, criminals run to the nearest possible place like hostels or informal settlements to escape or hide. I want to tell you that not everyone here is a criminal. There are criminals here as there are criminals in any other place. We denounce crime in every way possible,” said Mr Mhlongo.

He said the residents of Jeppe Hostel hold frequent meetings with local police station officials and business people in a bid to fight crime.

“These business people employ our people. These police officers are our children, our fathers and mothers, they are our bothers and sisters. We do not want them to be killed,” he said.

Both station commissioners from the Jeppe SAPS and the Cleveland SAPS thanked the community for its support on the day.

The Jeppe SAPS commissioner, Brigadier Govindsamy Mariemuthoo, said the march was to let criminals know the police and the community is fighting back against criminals.

“We are here to celebrate the lives of our fallen colleagues and to show the criminals that we are not going to retreat. We are pushing forward with our fight against crime. We are celebrating their lives because they died as heroes,” he said.

The Cleveland SAPS station commander, Colonel Bongani Dlamini, thanked the community for the support shown during the march.

“We are encouraged by the support of the community in saying no to the killing of police officers,” he said.