Seven Cape Town police officers were gunned down in five weeks in mid-winter this year. June 25th saw Sergeant Mthunzi Mbonjwa murdered in Mfuleni, the following day saw Constable Thabo Mdzwana killed in Strand. Three days later, Constable Brendon Mapoe was shot in Mitchells Plain. More followed in July: Constable Dumile Thethani, Constable Lugisa Depha, Sergeant Landile Yengo and Sergeant Mdlalo Bafundi - who was executed at home and died in front of his wife. Bafundi answered a knock on the door and was the father of an eleven-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl.
These attacks on community protectors are worrying as the police force is constantly forced to deal with a growing population and lacks the necessary manpower to handle it. It is sad that you find people going around boasting to other people about killing police officers. What has our society come to? Besides the fact that the police force exists to protect us and our families, they have their own families. Bafundi’s wife begged for her life and tried to protect their daughter from his slayers.
What is the solution to these cop killings?
They Shot the Sheriff
...and all the deputies.
By Alice Paulse
A month ago, the MEC of Community Safety Dan Plato called for the army to be deployed to assist the police in stabilising and patrolling the areas that are the worst-affected by this spate of gang violence. The presence of the army would not have stopped crime from happening but perhaps a troop presence would have scared the socks off these criminals and deterred them from carrying out these acts against the police. The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Arno Lamoer said that this was the most police officers killed in a month since he began his tenure.
It is utterly disgusting that Minister of Police Nathi Mthetwa would use the death of police officers for electioneering instead of working on a solution to combat these murders. He made strong statements at a press conference that were aimed at MEC of Community and Safety Dan Plato, whom he accused of criticising the police and reinforcing the idea that officers do not deserve respect - thus opening them up to further attacks. So in other words, Mthetwa implied that one should not give constructive criticism in order to improve the current condition of the police force, a force that is clearly in need of proper leadership. Should issues such as the incompetence within the police leadership the extremely poor training that officers receive be addressed? Do these factors not contribute to their vulnerability both on and off duty?
How do police officers feel about all of this?
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) provincial secretary Mncedisi Mbolekwa believes that police officers do not feel safe anymore as they are under threat and very angry. When asked what the public could do to assist police officers, he said: “People in the community call the police when they have trouble. If criminals are killing the police, who is the community going to call on? Community members have to be the eyes and ears of the police to avoid incidents.”
Cop killings are a matter of grave concern as parents are having to raise their children in communities riddled with crime, living amid fear and uncertainty. Think of your loved ones and ask yourself : “What can you do to help combat this spate of violence?”
PICTURE: dailymaverick
Voices of the students... Give a S#*t?
Fezile Don Jack:
“I lost faith in the cops last year when I was harassed by them for no reason. It showed me that what people say about them is real. Seven cops killed in five weeks. The government can do jacks#*t about it.”
Sarin Drew:
“Somebody is trying to hide something.”
Brian Akerman:
“I’m a little annoyed. Our police force is corrupt enough without this new threat in doing their jobs properly.”
Chante Richards:
“Any murder is terrible.”
There you have it: the students have spoken. You decide whether you give a s#*t or not!
Picture: primedia