Pretoria - As the grieving widow of police officer Major-General Tirhani Maswanganyi fought back tears, the slain cop and father of five was described as compassionate, kindhearted and dedicated during a prayer service at his house on Wednesday.
His younger brother, Captain Norman Maswanganyi, stationed at the Pretoria Dog School, said the image of Tirhani’s body lying in a stretch of veld, will be seared in his memory forever.
Maswanganyi’s bare-chested body was found early on Tuesday, just 10km from his house, in the veld along the R101, with his hands and feet bound.
Norman was called shortly after the gruesome discovery. “I received a call to say it appeared he had been hijacked. I immediately rushed from Lotus Gardens to the house. On my way I passed by the crime scene and stopped when I saw all the police vehicles. For two hours I was there while his body lay in the veld,” Norman said.
While the investigation into the senseless killing of one of the province’s top cops was under way, a family member on Wednesday said he suspected Maswanganyi’s line of work could have led to his murder.
“Simon was a straight cop, and many of the corrupt officers did not like that. Many times I would hear officers complaining about him. They did not want him around. When he went to Johannesburg, it became very intense for corrupt officials because they knew he had a zero tolerance attitude towards corruption,” Warrant Officer Thabo Dichabe said.
A stream of guests arrived at the smallholding in Rooiwal on Wednesday to pay their respects to the family of the man they say whose death has left a huge void.
On Wednesday, his widow Shereen sat covered in a blanket in the lounge of their home, as tears rolled down her face while a pastor read Bible scriptures at the start of the prayer service. “The thief has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but I’ve come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly,” were the comforting words by Pastor Jabulani Motsai, a chaplain at the Mamelodi East police station.
Motsai said he had chosen that verse because of the circumstances surrounding Maswanganyi’s death.
“These ruthless killers who have taken away the general, knew what they were doing. It was well-planned and one did not act alone.
“This verse was to motivate the family that even though the devil has acted, Christ is the pillar of their lives and they must have faith in Him during this difficult time. We will continue to keep them in our prayers,” Motsai said.
Colleagues from across the policing spectrum, who Maswanganyi had worked with during his 31 years as a police officer, spoke kindly about him.
They all shared the same sentiments that Maswanganyi was a stern corruption fighter, an above-standard policeman, and a warm, kind-hearted and approachable boss.
“This loss is not only being felt by the family, but by everyone he worked with. The crime levels in the Johannesburg cluster have dropped significantly since he started there. He led by example. The community will feel this loss. It will be difficult to replace a man of his stature,” a colleague said.
Senior officials from the Tshwane Metro Police, accom-panied by Safety and Security MMC Terrence Mashego and Tshwane Metro Police chief Steven Ngobeni, also visited the home yesterday.
Mashego said he was there as the acting executive mayor of Tshwane. “It is a terrible loss we have suffered. Our prayers are with the family. Our sorrow cannot wipe away their pain,” Mashego said.
Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros yesterday posted a reward of up to R100 000 for any information leading to arrests.
Speculation was rife Maswanganyi was killed because he was due to testify in a high-profile case.
Pretoria News