​Qaqambile Mdledle
Gauteng Community Safely MEC, Faith Mazibuko on Sunday commended the selflessness of the 15 SA Police Service (SAPS) officers killed this year while serving their communities.
MEC was joined by family members of the fallen officers and Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela at the provincial annual SAPS commemoration day at the Linden police station in Johannesburg.
MEC said the slain officers were heroes, their murder can never be justified. The nation must be united in saying the murder of police officers is unacceptable.
"The brave men and women, whom we are commemorating today, were of the calibre of people who served and protected all the people of the country without fear or favour. Selfless patriotism, these fallen heroes and heroines displayed, can never be emphasized," MEC said.
Provincial Police Commissioner Elias Mawela along with family members and loved ones laid wreaths in honour of the fallen officers whose names were engraved on the remembrance wall.
Commissioner Mawela appealed to communities to work together with the police.
"We are not expected to be seen as enemies of the communities. It is not the mandate of this government or the SAPS to say that members must go overboard and operate outside the arm-bid of the law. We encourage all our members to work with the communities and support the communities. Provide quality services to the communities. Surely we don't support police brutality," he said
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government has established a task team to probe perceived police inability to deal with riots.
The president who was speaking at the annual SAPS national commemoration day at the Union Building said citizens could not afford to be bystanders and needed to be active in their communities to lessen the burden on the police service.
"These fallen heroes were colleagues. They were sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, loving fathers, and caring mothers. They were also neighbours and friends to many of us. They are and they will continue to be missed," the president said. ​​