Cape Town – At least 17 police officers were killed in South Africa during the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, with 13 of the incidents occurring while officers were off duty.
This was said by Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya during during a media briefing on Sunday.
Lebeya said that 13 off-duty and four on-duty police officers were killed recently.
He condemned the killings, labelling them a national priority offence that demands urgent attention.
Lebeya also referred to the police force as a “blue wall” protecting society from criminals.
“There exists a blue wall in South Africa. A human wall formed by men and women in blue. The wall that divides and shield the good from the bad elements in society. The stronger the wall, the safer the community.
“The weaker the wall, the happier the criminals. Criminals will continuously attack this wall in order to access the protected good citizens of this beloved country. An attack of police officials is an assault on society and indeed an attack on the State,” he said.
Lebeya said that the Hawks prioritised police murder cases, securing 17 arrests and seven convictions, including four life sentences.
He also revealed that the Hawks arrested 818 suspects across various crime investigations, seized firearms and drugs, and dismantled drug labs worth millions.
Cash-in-transit robberies saw 49 arrests and 43 convictions.
Lebeya warned of fentanyl’s rise in the South African drug market and highlighted operations against illegal mining. He emphasised the importance of integrity in the legal profession.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
