Keynote remarks by the Deputy Minister of Police, Hon. Makhotso Maggie Sotyu (MP) at the official funeral of the late Warrant Officer PJB Holz
Programme Director,
Mrs. Holz, the children, and all the bereaved Holz Family,
Acting Provincial Commissioner & your team,
Police Officers, Community Members,
All SAPS Core Stakeholders present here,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Mrs. Holz, I was obligated to come back to give my last respects to your loved one, Warrant Officer Holz, and to also honour you for being the gracious widow that you are.
This obligation emanates from three mandates that I have: (i) I am a mother and a widow, as so are you. And, during this Women’s Month, I will for sure use my second mandate, which is being (ii) The National Deputy Minister of Police.
Major General Patekile, in your capacity as the Acting SAPS Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, I am sure by now the Holzs' documents are already processed, so that Mrs Holz and her children can get their benefits due to them, on time. We should not be seen as adding salt to an already open wound, putting the surviving spouse and children under another strain.
Most of our fallen officers leave behind spouses, children, and dependent elderly parents if they are not married.
And, the many complaints that have been received by the Ministry of Police always, have to do with the delay of processing their benefits due to them, benefits such as pensions, resulting in destitute retired police officers, widows and widowers of the deceased police officers.
You must then ensure that they get their benefits on time, and facilitate that the school going children are also put in the SAPS Education Trust, for bursary opportunities.
I am also a Member of Parliament as deployed by my Party the ANC, and this is my third mandate I come with to this solemn gathering.
Last week, I had raised an issue during an interview with the media. I said, and I am still saying that, how the SAPS Leadership wishes that more politicians and communities can voice out, vividly and visibly, their outrage when a police officer is killed whilst on duty.
We truly thank our President, His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, for sharply raising the issue of the killing of police officers, as a serious national concern.
I am saying this because there is a deafening silence when a police officer is killed, but when a police officer kills a civilian, there is drowning noise, accompanied by a host of unfounded criticism and sinister recommendations against Government and police management.
It can't be right that within 7 days, we have already lost 5 police officers killed by heinous criminals; and within 7 months, we have lost a whopping 55 police officers, counting from January 2015. These are human beings that we are talking about, who has a unique mandate to protect you, myself and the whole country.
So, as a Member of Parliament, coming from the Ruling Party, I will be consulting with my Party and my colleagues, to consider the following recommendations on both policy and legislation:
1. Like in SANDF, SAPS must also have a Departmental/Division wing of SAPS Veterans Affairs, where pension, medical, housing, bursary, union, and Widows/Widowers Fund benefits, are developed as prioritized programmes. It must be a fact that, when a police officer dies in the line of his duty or off duty, and irrespective of his/her age, s/he becomes a fallen veteran.
2. Killing of a police officer must be regarded as one of the two most serious national offences, the first one being raping and killing of babies/children/disabled/elderly. Because both offences are destroyers of the moral fiber and future of South Africa. You kill a police officer; you destroy the stability of the country. You rape or kill a child, you destroy the whole nation. These offenders do not deserve bail, do not deserve fine. All what they deserve is a prioritized court, with the maximum sentencing outcome, if found guilty.
These are some of the drastic steps that, if taken, could re-instill both conscience and consideration for the unique job our police officers do. As the police leadership, we are totally alarmed and also worried that criminals who kill police officers are becoming more brazen and more cold-blooded than ever before.
Just take a look of the two railway-attached SAPS police officers and a security guard, who were viciously attacked on Thursday morning. The intent was clear: kill and take the officers’ firearms. And, indeed one was killed, Constable NN Muhlarhi, and the other police officer was seriously wounded, and is lying in hospital,fighting for his dear life.
We must work together with the communities to curb this scourge, otherwise we might find ourselves in a scenario of “us versus them” mentality, where police officers might now become more suspicious of citizens, and may become more aggressive. We must all work hard that this scenario never materializes.
I would like to leave the Holz Family and relatives with these words from Psalm 82: 3-4:
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked”.
May Warrant Officer Holz's soul rest in peace.
I thank you all!
Enquiries:
Ms Nomsa Hani
Head of Office & Spokesperson
Cell: +27 (0) 82 772 2053
Email: HaniNomsa@saps.gov.za or nomsa.hani@gmail.com
