Statement by MEC Plato - R100 000 reward to help put cop killers behind bars

Statement by Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Community Safety

R100 000 reward to help put cop killers behind bars

Date: 10 April 2018

Release: Immediate

I condemn in the strongest possible terms the callous murder of a police official in Khayelitsha last night. The alleged ambush of two police officials by six suspects cannot be seen in any other light as murder, attempted murder and an outright attack on the state.

It is for this reason that I remind the law abiding residents in our communities that the Department of Community Safety’s R100 000 reward still stands for anyone with information that will result in the arrest and successful conviction of cop killers in the Western Cape.

My sincerest condolences go out to the injured colleague, family and friends of the officer who has lost his life.

I am thankful that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Hawks, has already been tasked with the investigation and trust that the Khayelitsha community will support them with the necessary information to see the murderers put behind bars.

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.