The killing of 24 police officers in three months is a ‘crisis’: Bheki Cele

Police minister Bheki Cele said the death of police officers at the hands of criminals was a crisis which had the potential to threaten the country’s peace and stability.

In the first three months of the year, 24 police officers were killed — and 11 of those were killed on duty while preventing, combating or solving crime.

Cele said some of the dead were attacked or ambushed and had their firearms stolen while conducting patrols.

He said decreases in many crime categories, as noted in the latest crime statistics revealed on Friday, would not have been achieved without the dedication, determination and hard work of the police.

“So it cannot be normal that police officers, who every day go out there to protect and  serve, are killed and the public remains unshaken. There is no public outrage, no outcry from activists and NGOs — and no one is demanding justice for them.

“If we are to win this fight against crime, such criminal acts against police officers can’t be ignored but must be addressed at community level.”

TimesLIVE