IOL reports that on Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa led the annual commemoration in honour of police officers who were killed in the line of duty across SA.
Thirty-four police officers and reservists died in the line of duty between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023. Addressing the sombre event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Ramaphosa said there must be justice “and there will be justice” for the families of the fallen “heroes and heroines”. “The hard work of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, known as the Hawks, has resulted in the arrest of 76 suspected police murderers over the past year. These cases are currently before different courts,” he said. A total of 488 suspects have been arrested for deaths of police officers since 2018. “We must continue to arrest, prosecute and convict those who wilfully undermine the authority of State,” said Ramaphosa. Last week, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said better remuneration and improved living conditions for police officers could arrest the scourge of murder targeted at the law enforcement agents. It was reported last week that at least 31 police officers were killed in the last three months, and that police management was deeply concerned about the trend.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jonisayi Maromo at IOL
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