Statement by Minister Dan Plato - R100 000 reward to get cop killers behind bars

Statement by Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Community Safety

R100 000 reward to get cop killers behind bars

I have this weekend requested my Department to increase the reward to R100 000 for anyone with information that will result in the arrest and successful conviction of cop killers in the Western Cape.

In the past week, 3 police officers have lost their lives, some even while responding to the needs of the community they serve while on duty. My sincerest condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of those who have lost their lives.

The Western Cape Government condemns cop killings. While we have no operational control over SAPS, our government is committed to supporting the hard working officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect others.

This reward should be a strong warning to anyone wishing to harm the brave men and women who serve our communities – there are now an extra 100 000 reasons why you will not get away with it.

Though no reward will bring back the fallen officers to their loved ones, I sincerely hope that anyone with credible information on the incidents will do the right thing and assist the police and law enforcement authorities.

It is important to remember that police killings, however unrelated, remain the vicious acts of individuals who do not represent the sentiment of the broader community.

Only a select few in our society are responsible for these crimes. Those responsible for the crimes are, however, someone’s child, someone’s sibling or someone’s neighbour – these are the people that need to break their silence and assist the police.

Any information should be reported to the SAPS Crime Stop number on 0861 10111.

We will not allow cowardly criminals to get away with their crimes unpunished. We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the people of the Western Cape, and our police officers.