National commissioner calls for harsh action as yet another cop is laid to rest

POLICE national commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has reiterated a call that police killings be treated as an attack on the authority of the state.

Masemola was speaking at the funeral of Detective Sergeant Mpfariseni Hamilton Nemahadani who was shot and killed while responding to a robbery incident at Tsianda village in the Vhembe district, Limpopo, a week ago.

A total of 31 police officers were killed between April and June 2023. This was almost double the number of those killed during the same period in 2022.

Nemahadani (44) was laid to rest at Vleifontein outside Makhado on Saturday in a solemn event also attended by top police brass including provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe.

In his address, Masemola said a manhunt was underway for an outstanding suspect, known as Caiphus, who ran away after the killing of the detective sergeant.

“We have mobilised maximum resources for a suspect who escaped. We will not rest until he is caught. We will be speaking with our colleagues at the National Prosecuting Authority that once Caiphus is caught, should he and his accomplice applies for bail, the state must oppose bail.

“We need to understand that an attack on the police officer is an attack on the authority of the state,” Masemola said.

He said the increase in police killings demonstrated the level of desperation of criminals to remove any obstacle in the way of their intent.

“The sergeant left us with a great responsibility of ensuring that law and order is not compromised. In his memory, we cannot afford to let him down, which is why we need to ensure we win the fight against crime,” Masemola said.