Government says there must be no safe haven for those who murder police officers.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted. He was speaking at a commemoration event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to honour 12 police officers who died in the line of duty between April last year and the end of March this year.
Ramaphosa says those who kill police officers must face the full might of the law. He says those who plan, facilitate or assist in attacks on police officers must also be held accountable and prosecuted.
The President says an attack on a police officer is not only an attack on an individual, but also an attack on the authority of the democratic State, the rule of law and the constitutional order.
“Those who murder officers must know that the full might of the law will be brought to bear upon them. Those who plan the attacks must be found. Those who carry out these attacks must be arrested, and those who assist them must be prosecuted.”
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says there have already been arrests and convictions linked to the murders of some of the officers being remembered.
He says 20 arrests have been made, resulting in 11 convictions, with four life sentences handed down by the country’s courts.
The 12 fallen officers were mostly young men and women who were killed while responding to calls for help, pursuing armed criminals or carrying out routine policing duties.
“On the list of 12 officers are mostly young men and women, several in their 20s and others in their 40s and 50s, whose lives ended in crime-fighting operations when they responded to a call for help, pursued armed criminals or responded to a report of burglary,” Cachalia says.
WATCH | President Cyril Ramaphosa lays a wreath in honour of the 12 SAPS members who lost their lives in the line of duty this year. pic.twitter.com/yvuNQjmblN
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 6, 2026
Among those remembered was a mother of three who served at Temba Police Station in Gauteng, as well as husbands and fathers who left behind young children.
One officer was killed while his wife was pregnant, while another left behind seven-month-old twins. The youngest of the 12 officers was just 25 years old.
President Ramaphosa says behind every name is a family whose life has been permanently changed.
“No ceremony can replace a husband or wife, no pension can compensate for the loss of a mothet or father. No medal can fill an empty chair and no words can take away the pain of a child waiting for a parent who will not walk through the door again.”
The South African Police Service says the number of officers killed in the line of duty has declined in recent years. But Cachalia says every life lost is one too many. He says police safety must become part of the culture of every operation, with officers provided with adequate training, equipment, intelligence and operational support.
Government has also called on communities to help police identify criminals and illegal firearms, urging those who know where criminals operate to come forward.
The South African Police Service Education Trust has supported more than 2 000 children of fallen officers since 2010.
“When a officer gives his or her life, then society assumes the responsibility of the family of the deceased officer and continues for as long as those families need support,” Ramaphosa says.
The President has urged police officers to continue serving with courage, discipline and integrity, while rebuilding trust with the communities they serve. He says the ultimate tribute to the fallen officers is to build a society where the law is respected, human life is valued, and those who protect the public are themselves protected.
