Keynote Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the occasion of the SAPS National Commemoration Day

Programme Director,
 
Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele,
 
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola,
 
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson,
 
Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale,
 
MECs for Community Safety,
 
National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola,
 
National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya,
 
All Generals, senior management and members of the SAPS,
 
Representatives of labour unions,
 
Members of the clergy,
 
Families of our fallen police officers,
 
Guests,
 
 
 
Fellow South Africans,
 
We have just participated in and witnessed the traditional wreath laying ceremony by the families of our fallen police officers.
 
We do this to pay tribute to those who laid down their lives in the line of duty, making sure that South Africans are safe and protected.
 
We are gathered here today to salute and commemorate 33 brave men and women who were killed while serving the country between the dates of the 1st of April 2021 and the 31st of March 2022.
 
The circumstances surrounding their deaths vary.
 
Among those we honouring, some were targeted by criminals for their firearms, others were involved in shootouts with criminals, and others were killed by reckless drivers who failed to stop when pulled over.
 
This National Commemoration Day should serve not only to pay tribute to our fallen men and women in blue who lost their lives in the fight against crime.
 
It should also serve to mobilise society against the killing of our officers.
 
No society can remain silent when criminals have clearly declared war on the police.
 
Our men and women in blue represent the authority of the state and any attack on them is a direct attack on the state and an attack on the people.
 
If criminals bother to read history, they must know that no one has ever defeated the people.
 
Those responsible for police killings who have not yet been arrested must know that wherever they are, they will be found and they will face the full might of the law.
 
Let us spare a thought for our police men and women in blue and what they must feel each time they leave their homes to enforce the law.
 
Yet, even knowing the risks, our officers continue bravely and relentlessly, on a daily basis and with a stern determination, to prioritise the safety and security of the people of this country.
 
We honour the memories of our beloved heroes and heroines, remembering the amazing colleagues, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, neighbours and friends that they were.
 
While this may be of little comfort to the families, we commend the police for the inroads they continue to make with the arrests of police murderers.
 
In the recent media briefing by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, Lieutenant-General Lebeya confirmed that 187 suspects had been arrested for the murder of police officials since 2018.
 
Fifty-five accused were convicted and sentenced during the same period.
 
Minister Cele, I want to urge that your ministry drives the process of ensuring that the SAPS is adequately resourced to prevent, combat and investigate police killings.
 
All the perpetrators of these attacks on police must be brought to book.
 
If we are to win the war against crime and police killings, we need to build healthy, stronger relations between the police and the communities they serve.
 
In any community where crime happens, somebody always knows something.
 
Some of our people remain silent for fear of victimisation.
 
It is for this reason that we are always striving to make it easier for citizens to anonymously report crime or suspicious activities.
 
General Masemola, on your appointment as the National Commissioner of the SAPS, you made a commitment that you would prioritise the rejuvenation of Community Policing Forums, which are legislated structures to bridge the divide between the local police and their communities.
 
It is important that CPFs work so that communities can appreciate the critical role they play by working with the police and by reporting criminals who live among us.
 
The fight against crime cannot be won by the police on their own.
 
Let us, as communities and the police, take responsibility for each other’s safety.
 
As we remember our fallen heroes and heroines, let us salute all police officers for the love they have for our country and its residents, and for their patriotic spirit and resilience in the face of brazen criminals.
 
Let us demonstrate that we value our law enforcement officers, who make a deliberate choice to take up policing as a calling rather than a mere job.
 
Let us today thank our fallen heroes and heroines posthumously for their sacrifice.
 
Let us cherish the memories they have left behind, whether as family members or as colleagues.
 
Let us, amid the despair, sustain the determination that the lives lost should not be in vain.
 
Let us transform the sorrow, the hurt and the anger at their deaths into a sense of determination to rid our streets of all forms of crime.
 
The 1st of September each year is the start of Police Safety Month.
 
I call upon all our police members to remain vigilant at all times.
 
Take heed and implement the objectives of the Police Safety Strategy, ensuring at all times that any action you take is within the confines of the law.
 
Be decisive in defending your own lives and the lives of our law-abiding citizens.
 
While we are here today to honour members of our police service who lost their lives in a particular financial year, we know that South African Police Service personnel face risk daily.
 
As recently as Tuesday, 30 August 2022, we lost Warrant Officer Willem Erasmus when a fixed wing aircraft of the police service crashed at Rand Airport in Gauteng. 
 
Four contractors to the SAPS also perished in this tragedy.
 
We offer the family, colleagues and friends of those who lost their lives our sincere condolences.
 
We pray equally for a speedy recovery of Captain Casper Swanepoel, who sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical care in hospital.
 
Let us all present here today renew our commitment to unite and work together to ensure that those who are responsible for crime pay for their deeds.
 
Let us avenge the deaths of these slain officers by making sure that we fulfil their dream of a society that is safe and secure, where all people live in peace.
 
We salute our fallen heroes and heroines for their bravery and for selflessly providing our communities with a sense of comfort.
 
We thank them for uniting us and their families in love and prayer.
 
We thank God for the years we lived and worked with them.
 
Long may their memories live.
 
May their souls continue to rest in peace.
 
I thank you.