Pretoria - It was an emotional day at the Union Buildings on Sunday for Naledi Mafafo, as the country dipped its banner in honour of fallen police officers.
President Jacob Zuma led tributes at the SAPS National Commemoration Day, urging communities to do more to protect those in blue.
The eight-year-old’s father, Captain Alpheus Mafafo, was killed in a car chase earlier this year.
Tears trickled down the cheeks of the child from Mamelodi moments before she laid a wreath in memory of her father, who was killed in a car crash while in hot pursuit of suspects.
Naledi’s mother, Anna, said her husband was a good man who had humility and took care of her family.
“Alpheus was the world to us. It’s not easy to deal with something of this nature; he woke up and went to work.
“A few hours later, there were a lot of officers who came to our house and told us that he died in a car crash while on his way to Bronkhorstspruit,” she recalled.
Mafafo was a member of the railroad police unit at Denneboom police station.
Speaking to the Pretoria News at the annual SAPS national commemoration day, Anna said that coming to terms with her husband’s death hadn’t been easy, especially for their two daughters, Judith, 20, and Naledi.
“When I came here and saw all the police dressed in their uniforms, I couldn’t contain my emotions because I was reminded of the last time I saw Alpheus,” Anna said.
Mafafo is one of 58 police officers who died this year, while 63 other officers lost their lives between April last year and March this year.
At the service, Zuma said the names engraved on the memorial wall at the Union Buildings were a reminder that the police’s duties were dangerous and that criminals were increasingly targeting them.
He urged communities not to protect criminals but instead to work with the police to bring killers to justice.
Zuma advised officers to protect themselves by any possible means to avoid being “sitting ducks”.
“We urge you to defend yourselves with everything at your disposal if you are attacked, within the confines of the law.
“Our laws allow the police to fight back decisively when their lives or those of the public are threatened.
“Criminals must know that our police officers aren’t sitting ducks. They will fight back when their lives or those of the public are in danger,” Zuma said.
He said he had directed Police Minister Nathi Nhleko to do everything possible to provide the police with the tools they needed to fight crime effectively and to protect themselves.
“A national tactical response plan has been developed to immediately respond effectively to the murders of police officers.
“All commanders have been instructed to ensure that the plan is implemented with immediate effect,” the president told the crowd.
Zuma also said there was a need to review legal structures in order to combat crime because there was an imbalance in the justice system which allowed for leniency.
“Police need to protect themselves within the law, and they need to respect it.
“The rights of criminals seem to undermine the rights of everyone else. There needs to be a relook at the system because crime is rife and has changed, but tackling it hasn’t changed. This is something we need to look at,” Zuma said.
Nhleko said the escalating number of police deaths was disturbing.
“We are beginning to see a pattern in areas where officers are being killed, crime levels were also high. This has galvanised the police to take a resolve in the fight against crime,” he said.
Among the guests at the event was under-fire national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega, who never addressed the crowd.
Wreaths were laid by family members of the deceased police officers.
Pretoria News