President Cyril Ramaphosa marked National Police Commemoration Day at the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Sunday, declaring that the targeted killing of law enforcement officers constitutes a direct assault on the constitutional order and state authority.
The annual ceremony brought together senior government officials, top police management, and grieving families to honour 12 South African Police Service (SAPS) members who lost their lives in the line of duty between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. Nine of the fallen officers were based in Gauteng, with one each from North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga. The commemoration follows a significant decline in police deaths. The previous year saw 27 members honoured, compared to 12 this year.
The human cost behind the uniform
Addressing families and colleagues, Ramaphosa reflected on the personal stories and family structures permanently shattered by police killings. Among those honoured on the Roll of Honour was the only female officer recognised this year, a mother of three from Temba Police Station. The youngest of the 12 officers was Constable Gift Mota, 25, who was killed on 4 February during crime-prevention operations in Phokeng, Rustenburg. His mother, Phindile Mota, addressed the ceremony.
“Behind every police killing is a family story that has been permanently rewritten. When criminals target a police officer, they are not merely attacking an individual in uniform, they are attacking the integrity of the state, the rule of law, and our constitutional order”, said President Cyril Ramaphosa
Call for corporate backing and harsher penalties
Ramaphosa warned that there will be no haven for anyone who targets officers, stating that when a criminal points a weapon at a police officer, they are confronting the authority of the Republic of South Africa itself. The President also issued a direct appeal to corporate South Africa to step up financial support for the SAPS Education Trust (SAPSET), which provides educational funding and bursaries for the surviving children of officers killed in the line of duty.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia attended the ceremony alongside bereaved family members. Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane also laid wreaths at the memorial wall.
