City of Cape Town hosted Remembrance Day service for fallen Safety and Security staff members. The memorial wall on the Concourse Level in the Civic Centre holds the names of 68 staff members in the Safety and Security Directorate of the City.
Reportedly, the service and wreath-laying is observed annually, attended by relatives of the fallen members. The memorial wall on the Concourse Level in the Civic Centre holds the names of the 68 staff members in the City’s Safety and Security Directorate.
As per the sources, thirty-nine of them died in the line of duty, dating back to 1907. The latest name to be inscribed was of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officer, Zanikhaya Kwinana, who was killed when gunmen fired openly during a patrol vehicle in Nyanga in August 2023.
However, in the year 2022, the names of 29 staff members who succumbed to Covid-19 were added to the wall.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith and led the service and wreath laying ceremony which was attended by the relatives of the fallen members.
Lewis highlighted that their sacrifices were honoured at a Remembrance Day service held at the Civic Centre on Saturday. He considered the deep personal connections and sacrifices of the individuals and emphasised that the bravery required to work in law enforcement, fire and rescue services and disaster risk management.
The Mayor of city Cape Town, explained that each name on the wall represented a friend, a colleague and a family member, who were heroes long before their ultimate sacrifice.
Lewis also addressed the ongoing challenges that were faced by law enforcement officers, noting that there have been more than 60 attacks on city law enforcement agencies this year, alone.
He recounted a recent incident in Grassy Park where officers were assaulted, while responding to a shooting and another one in Hanover Park where an officer was injured during the gang violence.
Expressing the dissatisfaction with the lenient bail set for attackers, Hill-Lewis called for a stronger legislative measures to protect the officers.