Police killings an ‘assault on society and attack on the State’ – Hawks Head Lebeya

Seventeen police officers have been killed in the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.

This is according to Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, who briefed the media on Sunday.

At least 13 of the officers were off duty at the time of the incidents, while four were on duty when they were killed.

The Lieutenant General condemned police killings, which the DPCI categorised as a national priority offence that “requires the attention of the DPCI”.

“There exists a blue wall in South Africa. A human wall formed by men and women in blue. The wall that divides and shield the good from the bad elements in society. The stronger the wall, the safer the community. 

“The weaker the wall, the happier the criminals. Criminals will continuously attack this wall in order to access the protected good citizens of this beloved country. An attack of police officials is an assault on society and indeed an attack on the State,” he said.

He cited four examples of arrests and convictions secured following the killing of an officer, including that of a man who masterminded the killing of his own wife, who was seven months pregnant at the time.

“On 23 June 2022, Constable Prudence Masuku, who was stationed at Daveyton SAPS [South African Police Service] was murdered in Putfontein while on her way to work [and was] accompanied by her husband, James Veli Masuku. 

“The husband alleged that they were confronted by two taxis, where the passengers of both taxis approached them and began firing several shots at the deceased, while he ran for cover. He said that upon returning to the vehicle, he found that his wife’s service pistol had gone missing. 

“Investigations by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation and ballistic results revealed that the service pistol belonging to the deceased was in fact the very weapon that was used to murder the member,” Lebeya said.

During investigations, law enforcement officials Veli Masuku and Xolani Lawrence Dlamini after swiftly reacting to information about a suspect demanding cash from a middleman for murdering the police officer.

“On 08 April 2024, Masuku and Dlamini – who pleaded not guilty – were convicted of murder, theft of firearm, two counts of illegal possession of firearm and defeating the administration of justice.

“On 23 August 2024, the Gauteng High Court sitting in Benoni sentenced Masuku and Dlamini to life imprisonment for murder. They were further sentenced to five years imprisonment for the theft of a firearm, five years imprisonment for possession of unlicensed firearm, and three years imprisonment for illegal possession of ammunition, which runs concurrently with the life imprisonment sentence. They were further declared unfit to possess firearms in the future,” Lebeya said.

Unscrupulous legal practitioners

Lebeya told the media about legal practitioners, who are stealing money from unsuspecting clients’ trust funds, Road Accident Fund payouts and deceased estates.

Some of the cases Lebeya cited include:

• An attorney, Solomon Slom, arrested for allegedly stealing R39 million from a client’s trust fund.
• An attorney, Thouret Mampe Thabe Tiro, appeared in court for allegedly defrauding the Ditsobotla Local Municipality of R460 000 by submitting false request for payment.
• Attorney, Kobie Nieuwenhuis, allegedly misappropriated at least R243 000 after the Master of the High Court appointed her as the executor of an estate.
• Three attorneys – Mkhululi Enock Tokota, Masixole Bangiso and Michael Songezo Tuswa –  appearing in different, unrelated cases related to fraud and theft of Road Accident Fund payouts.

“Legal practitioners are officers of the court. Theirs is a profession of honour. It is important that our learned colleagues should continue to maintain the decorum of this great profession. They must be exemplary to upcoming jurists and jealously insulate the image of this profession. 

“Those who betray that trust need to take full responsibility and the Legal Profession Council should continue to police those who breach professional ethics. It should ensure that all legal practitioners observe a settled expectation of uberrima fides, the highest possible degree of good faith in dealing with client during submissions, representations to client so that they are accurate, honest and frank. 

“It is comforting that prosecutors, the defence and the presiding officers who deal with these matters are jurists in good standing,” Lebeya said. – SAnews.gov.za

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