Pretoria – Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has condemned the attack on two police officers in Nyanga in the Western Cape.
The incident, which took place on Monday, left one police officer dead, while another sustained injuries and is being treated in hospital. The deceased and his colleague were on duty when they were attacked.
Mthethwa has expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the slain police officer, and has vowed that those who committed the act will be apprehended and punished.
He called on society to alert the police to information that will help in the prevention of crime.
Mthethwa said the fact that the officers were killed on duty served as a harsh reminder of the kind of dangers officers faced on a daily basis.
In July 2011, the Ministry of Police hosted the Summit against Attacks and Killings of Police, which involved various sectors including academics, researchers, civil organisations and unions.
Some of the interventions the summit resolved to implement included the establishment of a SA Police Service (SAPS) multi-disciplinary committee, focusing on addressing the well-being of police members. The committee effectively manages investigations on the killing of police, counselling of families and training.
SAPS has now issued national instructions pertaining to training, the usage of bullet proof vests and deployment mechanisms during crime call-outs. This was informed by research, which has pointed to a lack of adherence pertaining to the use of bulletproof vests.
Mthethwa said the misconception by some analysts that there was a shortage of bulletproof vests within SAPS was not accurate, noting that there were over 200 000 bulletproof vests in the SAPS -- which was more than the number of police officers.
A concerted effort was being undertaken both internally and externally within SAPS to encourage police members to wear bulletproof vests at all times, and to further treat each crime call-up as serious. – SAnews.gov.za
