A Rand West City Traffic Department officer in his 50s was run over and killed while on lockdown traffic law enforcement duty on Friday, 17 April.
Kenny Mampondo, chief of the Rand West City Traffic Department confirmed to the Herald this morning that the officer died after being hit by a vehicle on the R41 road that links Randfontein and Roodepoort. The tragedy happened before noon yesterday, and it was not a hit and run.
“The driver was arrested and a case of culpable homicide is being investigated,” he said.
Mampondo added, “In addition, how the accident happened will be investigated . We will even go as far as checking where the suspect was going, if he was permitted to be on a public road during the lockdown, and if he was intoxicated or not.
“The officer was hit by the vehicle while he was busy with general law enforcement duties in terms of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 regulations pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was checking whether the drivers of the vehicles using the road had the necessary documentation, etc.”
Mampondo added the officer was a long-time servant of the Rand West City Traffic Department.
“The department has lost one of its own. We are mourning his death. When I joined the Traffic Department in 1998, he was already a traffic cop as much as he was fresh from college.
“He died in the line of duty. All his colleagues are devastated by his untimely death. He woke up that morning to prepare himself and report for duty. I can imagine he bid his loved ones goodbye, saying, ‘Hey I’ll see you when I knock off’, but little did he know he would not return.
“As a department, we want to convey our deepest condolences to his wife and kids, and to the extended family. They are in our prayers and thoughts. We wish them to try to find solace in all the messages of condolences they have received from the local municipality and police, even as far as Merafong.”
Zaheer Gangat, who is the chairperson of the Randfontein CPF and of the West Rand District Police Board added, “We would like to sympathise with our colleagues and the family of the deceased during this difficult time, but we also urge the public to stop and look when they are signalled to pull over at a checkpoint. It is unacceptable to lose a dedicated traffic official in this manner. We are saddened by this as we are all fighting crime together.”
