Johannesburg - Why does the public keep quiet when police officers are killed and make a noise only when they’re accused of violent crimes?
This was the question asked by Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane in the legislature on Tuesday following the increase in the number of police killings in the province.
It came in the wake of the slaying of six police officers, including a Joburg metro police officer, in the past three months.
Police officers are “voiceless men and women” who are killed while trying to protect the same people who remain silent when they are killed, Nkosi-Malobane said.
“In the past three months alone, six police officers have been killed in the line of duty.
“On June 3, Major Thomas Moetlo was killed by his former colleague at Alexandra police station. Warrant Officer SE Ndlovu was shot dead in Cleveland and the past two weeks saw the killing of four officers: Constable S Buthelezi in Vosloorus, Constable LJ Seolwane in Themba, Constable SAC Hlabisa in Jeppestown and JMPD officer Simon Mabatamela, who was killed in a robbery at the Junction Mall in Rosettenville,” the MEC pointed out.
“The men and women in blue are parents, brothers, sisters, friends like all of us, and therefore this deafening silence leaves much to be desired. Are we so immune to the police killings that they do not warrant public condemnation? Have we done enough to show support? I don’t think so.
“Something is grossly wrong in our society. Common sense dictates that there should have been an unprecedented outcry from all sectors of society condemning the brutal murder of our police officers. So far, there has been too little.”
Nkosi-Malobane also insinuated that the media, like the public, was silent about the deaths of police officers.
“Could it be that police officers are not human enough to earn sympathy and support? Have we unconsciously reduced the lives of our law enforcement officers to nonentities?
“For the record, the men and women in blue are not sub-human.
“The irony is that I thought all hands would be on deck condemning these senseless killings. We can never afford to fold our arms when these criminals kill our law enforcement officers.”
Nkosi-Malobane said the province needed to mobilise and condemn these vicious attacks.
“It is interesting how an outcry gets ignited by an accusation against a law enforcement officer, be it true or false.”
She maintained that the police were not being given the support they need.
“We can never be seen to be justifying the brutal and barbaric attacks on our law enforcement officers.”
The Star