Pretoria - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived at the South African Police Service (SAPS) memorial site at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Sunday morning to lead the annual commemoration for slain police officers.
Escorted by several bodyguards, Ramaphosa was ushered into a holding tent before the event officially kicked off. The annual event is hosted by the SAPS in honour of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
During the ceremony, family members of the dead officers and the leadership of the police department will lay wreaths as they pay special tribute to the "fallen heroes and heroines" who died between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. The SAPS said 40 officers died in that period.
Ramaphosa will be joined by Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, Deputy Police Minister Bongani Mkongi, acting national police commissioner Lt-Gen Lesetja Mothiba, and other dignitaries.
Several family members, including young children, were being escorted to their seats by members of the SAPS chaplain services on Sunday morning.