Acting President Paul Mashatile: SAPS National Commemoration Day

1 September 2024

Keynote address by the Acting President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile at the SAPS National Commemoration Day, Union Buildings, Pretoria, Gauteng

Programme Director, Colonel HM Maluleke;
Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu;
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Ms Angie Motshekga
Minister of Correctional Services, Minister Groenewald;
Deputy Ministers of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale and Ms Polly Boshielo;
Deputy Ministers here present;
MEC’s of Community Safety and Liaison present from all nine provinces;
National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola;
All Directors-General present and Heads of Entities;
National Head of the DPCI, Lieutenant General (Adv/Dr) Godfrey Lebeya;
All Generals, Senior Management, and Members of the South African Police Service;
Chairperson of the SAPS Education Trust Board of Trustees, Mr Vuyani
Jwarana and Board Members;
Representatives of Labour Unions POPCRU and SAPU;
Community Policing Forum representatives;
Families of our fallen Police Officers;
Members of the Clergy;
Members of the media;
Distinguished guests;

Avuxeni!! Ndi Matsheloni!! Dumelang!! Sanibonani!! Goeie more!!

On this National Police Commemoration Day, we have gathered to pay tribute to our fallen men and women in blue. These extraordinary individuals exhibited unparalleled courage and dedication to ensuring the safety and security of others, placing their own lives on the line without hesitation.

As a result, this wreath-laying ceremony is a painful reminder not only to the families who lost their loved ones, but also to all South Africans that our police are under attack while serving this country. Criminals have become brazen in their desperate attempts to achieve their criminal intents, to the point that the South African Police Service has, in the 2023/2024 financial year, lost 39 police officers in the line of duty.

These police officers who died while protecting South Africa and her people are not just a statistic; they were husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and most of them were breadwinners in their families.

On behalf of the South African Government, I would like to take this moment to offer my heartfelt condolences to all families. We hope that you will find comfort in knowing that their names will never be forgotten, as they are now engraved on the SAPS Wall of Remembrance here on the seat of Government, the Union Buildings. We hope that you will find strength and comfort in the memories of your loved ones’ lives and service.

They lived courageous lives and put the safety of their fellow citizens above their own.

Mr. Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Police, and General Fannie Masemola, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, cannot conduct business as usual when we lose so many Police Officers to criminals.

To all serving police officers, please do not give up the battle against crime. The 39 members we are commemorating today entrusted you with a significant duty to carry on the baton and guarantee peace and order in our nation. May you never tire of serving your nation by working harder to imprison all offenders in honour of your fallen colleagues.

In the honour of these gallant crime fighters, you must remain unshaken in your resolve to keep our communities safe. May you uphold the integrity of the badge and relentlessly strive to bring those responsible for any police officer's death to justice.

In seeking justice for the families of our fallen heroes and heroines, the hard work of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, commonly known as the Hawks, has culminated in the arrest of 18 suspected police killers between April and June this year; 12 of them were convicted and sentenced to a cumulative 139 years imprisonment. The court sentenced one of the killers to life in prison.

The Hawks’ work is ongoing to bring justice to families who lost their loved ones in the fight against crime. Other cases are pending in court, and we are hoping that they will receive harsh sentences because killing a police officer is tantamount to treason.

Lieutenant General Lebeya, as Government, we call upon the DPCI to act with speed to arrest those who choose to undermine the authority of the state by targeting police for their criminal gains.

Of grave concern is the fact that, since 2021, inclusive of today, we have commemorated a total of 140 police men and women who lost their lives in the hands of criminals while performing their official duties. This number is alarmingly high, especially considering that these are men and women who have the potential to lead the future SAPS to a crime-free South Africa.

Unfortunately, some members of our society show no respect whatsoever for the duties performed by our law enforcement officials. These are the people who attack men and women in uniform, thereby undermining the authority of the democratic state.

Given that law enforcement officials serve as a crucial deterrent against crime for all South Africans, we cannot tolerate their ongoing brutality. An assault on SAPS is a direct attack on the state, and we must take action against individuals who perpetrate this crime, which is equal to treason. 

General Fannie Masemola, Police officers must not die with their service firearms on their holsters when criminals refuse to surrender and start firing at police. When a shootout ensues between police and criminals, police have a duty to protect their lives, as well as those of their colleagues and all community members.

I am aware that being a police officer in our nation is one of the most dangerous occupations; you may feel anxious knowing that you may leave your family for work and never return. In your defence, you must show criminals that you are in charge. You must act decisively, using proportionate force in line with the threat you are facing, according to legal provisions. You must intensify your efforts to guarantee that you defeat crime.

Minister Mchunu, we must make sure the police have enough tools to support their counterattack against criminals. We also need to find a balance to address the major issue of an increasing population, which police recruits simply cannot keep up with. 

We must strive to attain the United Nations' suggested ratio of one police officer for every 220 persons. The police-to-population ratio in South Africa has recently increased, rising from about 1:353 in 2014 to 1:427 in 2023. Meeting the UN recommended ratio means we must save the lives of those in service while also recruiting more officers.

Moreover, it is imperative that we collaborate to resolve the internal challenges, including low morale among members, SAPS members involved in criminal activities, and ageing infrastructure, in order to enable the police to fulfil their constitutional obligations.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa is the nation's supreme law, from which police officers derive their mandate. The police are required to prevent, combat, and investigate crime; maintain public order; protect and secure the Republic's inhabitants and property; and uphold and enforce the law, as outlined in Section 205 of the country's Constitution.

Fighting crime should not only be the SAPS responsibility; communities are expected to work with the police to fight criminal activity, protect their properties, and help identify criminals.

Criminals are humans who live in our communities, and residents know where they live. As a result, we urge all community members to inform the police of criminals' whereabouts to enable them to promptly arrest all criminal elements in our communities. 

Let us strengthen our Community Policing Forums (CPFS).

We must stand united in this fight as partners to confront these challenges head-on and work tirelessly to ensure that South Africa is a place where all can feel safe and secure.

In light of the latest crime statistics, which reveal that an estimated three people are being murdered per hour in our country, we support the ministry’s set priorities to tackle crime, which include professionalisation of the police service and uprooting of corruption within the SAPS, capacitation of the Crime Intelligence Unit, and investment in technology.

In this constant struggle against crime, as political leaders, we must assess whether present policies continue to react to the current criminal climate.

We must develop a workable policy agenda that considers South Africa's complex and shifting crime and safety challenges. As Government, combating crime is our primary goal, and your role as police officers is crucial to our success in this endeavour.

Distinguished Guests,

It is commendable that the SAPS recognises that the 39 members we are currently commemorating had families and children who were still in school.

The South African Police Service Education Trust (SAPSET) exists to meet the educational requirements of police officers who have died in the line of duty so that their children may continue to attend school. The SAPSET covers all educational costs for these learners and students until they achieve their first qualification. 

Earlier this year, the South African Police Service hosted a fundraiser that raised R6.6 million, which will be put into SAPSET coffers so that the children of the 39 police officers commemorated today can stay at school.

We encourage all South Africans and businesspeople to contribute to the SAPSET so that the children of police officers killed in action can continue to attend school. It would be a terrible day in our nation if the children of these 39 officers, whom we are remembering today, dropped out of school and joined criminal organisations to survive. It is comforting to know that since its inception, SAPSET has paid for the educational needs of 1,631 children of deceased police officers.

Minister Mchunu, we should do more than just care for the police and their families after they are gone. As today's youth say, "we should give them their flowers while they are still alive." This implies that we must re-evaluate their motivations and how we compensate.

We should incentivise their employment based on the level of danger they face every day. In reality, there are no incentives that can fully compensate for the value of life. However, we must make every effort to provide individuals with what they rightfully deserve, starting with decent wages.

We urgently need to address the issue of upward mobility in SAPS. It breaks my heart to see a SAPS member with more than 30 years of unbroken police service still occupying lower ranks.

As I conclude Programme Director, on behalf of our country and the South African Government, we thank the 39 fallen heroes and heroines posthumously for their bravery and service to their country, which they rendered diligently until they met their untimely demise.

We also extend our gratitude to their families, who provided unwavering support throughout their careers in the SAPS. We pray that you find peace and healing.

May the souls of the gallant 39-crime fighters rest in eternal peace.

I thank you! Ha khensa! Inkomu!

Issued by The Presidency, 1 September 2024