MBOMBELA – What a sombre and comforting mood it was for the men and women in blue when family members of over 30 former SAPS officers who were killed in the line of duty, paid their last respects at a commemoration day on Tuesday.
“It is an emotional day, but we don’t complain because we have taken an oath to die for this organisation,” said Lt Gen (Adv) Dumisa Magadlela, the provincial commissioner in front of throngs of family members, station commanders, police and the MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Mr Vusi Shongwe, during the historic provincial unveiling of the plaque mounted on the wall of the provincial head offices in the city.
The grieving families were comforted by Psalm 121 where they were assured that the Lord who neither slumbers nor sleeps is their keeper and will see them through all trying times.
“This day marks the unveiling of the plaque where we salute those members who lost their lives while in the line of duty. They sacrificed their lives, determined to protect the people of this province and the country at large. They were determined that the people of Mpumalanga would walk free on the streets, free from fear of being robbed, hijacked, raped, drugged and all other forms of criminal activities. We have the duty to carry on the baton from where they left,” said Magadlela.
He added that the police had developed a strategy for SAPS safety, hence they must be alert, safe and fully utilise everything given to them.
Magadlela added that systems were in place to ensure that families of fallen policemen didn’t suffer and didn’t turn into the laughing stock in the community. “We will care and support families to ensure that they don’t suffer,” he said. Magadlela mentioned that the sector had developed a SAPS Educational Trust Fund to ensure that children of late officials were educated.
A Widow and Orphans Fund which will issue money to the orphans or widows on a quarterly basis.
“We do care and we promise that no one will ever come in between SAPS and their families. This is the beginning of better things to come,” he said.
Provincial stats show that eight officers were killed in the line of duty between
2010 /11, while seven were killed in the year 2011/12 and six in 2012/13. The number of police killings in the province shows a very slight decrease as only five police were killed in 2013/14 and another five were killed between 2014 and 2015.
Representatives of the police labour unions – South African Police Union (Sapu) and Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) also expressed their messages of condolences. “The members may be gone but will never be forgotten,” said Sapu’s representative. Mr Life Monini of Popcru ensured police of the union’s support to their families. “Popcru set aside R20 million towards the bursary of our members and children of our fallen heroes to ensure their growth and that their education would be taken care of.”
MEC Vusi Shongwe continued to express his undying love for the police, traffic officers and security agencies. He added that the province including the premier felt the same pain whenever a policeman was killed. He sent strong warnings against the killing of the police, “Wabulala iphoyisa wabulala umphakathi”.
One of the widows, Ms Carol Nkosi whose husband the late WO HA Masete was killed in a car accident after dropping off members at Acornhoek in 2012, said she was happy about the event and all the commitments made by the sector to them.
“At least family members are not left out of the programmes of the SAPS. I’ve recently received a bursary from the SAPS Education Trust which pays the fees of my two kids aged seven and 14,” she said.
