Pretoria - A case of culpable homicide was opened, but the taxi driver who ran over and killed Tshwane Metro Police officer Johannes Daniel Matjeke has not yet been arrested.
However, metro police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the taxi driver was known.
Mahamba was speaking exclusively to the Pretoria News during the funeral of the 25-year-old at the Tower of Worship Ministries church in Soshanguve on Sunday.
Matjeke was killed when a minibus taxi drove into him in the Pretoria city centre last Tuesday while he was on duty.
He was directing traffic at an intersection where the traffic lights were malfunctioning.
The constable was rushed to a city hospital at about 9am but died three hours later.
Matjeke was given a send-off fit for a community server by a large crowd gathered at the church.
City mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, mayoral committee member for safety and political head of the metro police Terrence Mashego and the chief of police Steven Ngobeni were among the mourners.
Matjeke’s coffin was draped in the colours of the city’s by-law enforcement unit with his service cap on top, and surrounded by flowers.
His friends, neighbours, family members and colleagues paid tribute to the officer they described as an honest and God-fearing man who loved his job.
Both Mashego and Ramokgopa said they did not know him well as the metro police department had thousands of officers, but said speakers had painted a picture of a dedicated and selfless officer.
“He died in the line of duty and his dreams and life were shattered while he was trying to make the city liveable for other citizens,” said Ramokgopa.
“He had a vision but lost it trying to ensure that the lives of others were enhanced.”
Earlier, Matjeke’s niece Refilwe broke down in tears as she told the congregation she would now have to celebrate her birthday this week without him.
Ramokgopa praised Matjeke for having prioritised education. The late metro officer matriculated from Reitumetse in Soshanguve, the best performing township school in last year’s matric results.
In 2009, he obtained a diploma in human resources management from the Tshwane University of Technology before joining the metro police in 2012.
His metro police colleagues formed a guard of honour and an impressive parade on the street was led by a brass band as the cortege left the church for his final resting place at Zandfontein Cemetery.
Matjeke leaves his mother, brother, three sisters, a sister-in-law and six nieces.
Pretoria News