Our police are under siege, says safety MEC
GAUTENG Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane has called on police officers to defend themselves and use their weapons when they are under siege.
Yesterday, she told dozens of police officers gathered at Hillbrow police station for the memorial service of the slain Warrant Officer Moses Mosekwane that the police were under siege.
“It becomes incumbent upon all of us, as we are gathered her today, that I remind you that the death of one police officer is one too many. We cannot afford to be seen to be doing nothing about these barbaric acts of criminal- ity. Honourable members, we are under siege,” she said.
An emotional Nkosi-Malobane, who broke into tears shortly after giving her speech, said at least seven police officers had been killed in the province since the beginning of the year.
“We can never afford to fold our arms when these criminals kill our law enforcement officers. Not under my leadership! We need to mobilise and condemn these vicious attacks in support of our fallen warriors,” she said.
Yesterday, Mosekwane’s colleague and friend of almost 15 years, Captain Elvis Godi, told mourners that he was angry, and described the fallen hero as a brother to him.
“He was more than a col- league. He was a friend, a brother and he was part of me… The streets of Hillbrow were clean because of him.”
Mosekwane and his colleague, Gladstone Chauke, were patrolling the streets of Hillbrow when he was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning. A woman approached the pair, claiming that two men had tried to rob her.
The two officers confronted the duo and one of them disarmed Mosekwane, killing him instantly with his own service pistol. Chauke was injured in the incident.
Two days later, Mosekwane’s killer was shot dead in the streets of Bez Valley in a shootout between him and the police. Mosekwane’s firearm was recovered.