Winde hopes Charl Kinnear’s murder is hopefully a ‘tipping point’ for SAPS

A committed police officer, who loved his family and community and who dedicated his life to creating a safer society – this is how Anti-Gang Unit officer Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear was described at his funeral in Cape Town on Saturday.

Kinnear was shot dead in front of his Bishop Lavis house in Cape Town two weeks ago.

His son Casleigh described how Kinnear would often work until midnight and spend until 2:30 in the morning typing up his extremely detailed dockets. He would then rise at 4:30 to return to the service.

“My dad was a selfless man,” Casleigh said.

“We believe the passing of my dad will be the birth of a new generation of police officers.”

At the funeral, Kinnear was described as “a man who lived for his job”, who was soft spoken, and who loved his family dearly. He wanted to be a role-model to his community, according to tributes given during the service.

“He decided to stand up to criminal elements. He decided to stand up to corruption. And it cost him his life,” one colleague said of Kinnear.

Both Kinnear’s colleagues and Premier Alan Winde referenced the work Kinnear was doing in investigating officers within the police service.

Winde added that Kinnear was someone who had given the police a good name, even though there were a number of people in the service who didn’t live the same values. He added that rooting out these individuals had formed a part of Kinnear’s work.

The premier said Kinnear’s legacy should be in the changes he worked for: to see a safer society for all citizens.

“I hope this will be a tipping point. Too many people in the Western Cape… live in fear.”

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