Durban

Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) work under the most daunting working environments as the country struggles with high rates of violent crime, including homicide and sexual assault.

When police officers leave their families every day to perform their duties, the brave men and women in blue are putting their lives on the line and risk returning home in a coffin.

Through the commemoration of National Police Day, which takes place annually on 27 January, government recognises the hard work and sacrifices that the country’s police officers make and continue to make to provide a safe South Africa for all.

Speaking to SAnews, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla MKhwanazi, said this year’s celebrations coincides with 30 years of policing in a democratic South Africa.

“We know that in 1995 there was an amalgamation of different policing agencies that we had in the country that established the SAPS…[now] we are all one in policing in the country as mandated by the Constitution of the Republic,” MKhwanazi said. 

When South Africa attained independence in 1994, the new democratic order brought about many changes and had a substantial impact on policing.

Last year, South Africa celebrated the 30th anniversary of the country’s democratic dispensation and commemorated the nation’s first democratic election on 27 April 1994.

This historic milestone coincided with the 28th anniversary of the enactment of the South African Constitution as the supreme law of the land.

“We are going to be celebrating 30 years of policing in a democratic South Africa. We will be displaying all our capabilities as the SAPS. The National Police Day is one of the activities on the SAPS calendar that has been gazetted by government and authorised for us to have a celebration.

“This year’s event will be celebrated in KwaZulu-Natal, specifically in eThekwini. We want to give confidence that Durban remains a place of interest for hosting big events,” the provincial police commissioner said.

Since its establishment in April 2024, the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) has been working hard to address critical service delivery, infrastructure, and socio-economic challenges within the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality with the goal of positioning the city as an investment and tourism hub.

The Working Group operates across three spheres of government and includes representatives from the private sector and labour.

Call for donations for the SAPS education trust fund

Prior to National Police Day, the SAPS will host a fundraising event, which will be in the form of a golf day on 25 January 2025.

The SAPS has established the South African Police Service Education Trust (SAPSET) to raise funds for the provisioning of financial or any other form of assistance to a child or children of members in the service that died in the execution of official duties or on duty, by financing the costs of such child’s or children’s educational needs.

“This allows us to assist these children to go through school until the obtain their first tertiary qualification to make life better for them because those men and women would have died saving society and therefore their children should not be forgotten.

“Of course, government will pay their insurance, but on top of that, we felt that it is important that we find a way of augmenting the resources they have in order to be able to go to school without any struggles.

“We are doing the fundraising and we rely heavily on business to come on board and help us finance the educational trust fund,” Mkhwanazi said.

Last year, the provincial fundraising event in KwaZulu Natal managed to raise about R1.2 million.

“This is the national event so we expect businesses from all over the country to contribute and donate to this fund. We are hoping that if KZN can pull more than R1 million alone, with nine provinces that will raise more funds to assist the children of the departed members.

“These are members that we normally celebrate every September in Pretoria at the Union Buildings, that would have died in the line of duty,” he said.

National Police Commemoration Day takes place on the first Sunday in September in memory of police officers who died in the line of duty in the last twelve months.

The education trust is comprised of members that are independent of the SAPS and meets all the legal requirements for donations. 

“On the 26 January 2025, we are going to have the Excellence Awards where we recognise outstanding dedication, service, and excellence across various categories within the SAPS.

“We are going to be recognising those who have gone beyond the call of duty, including the committee members that have played the role in helping us fight crime in their role as the Community Policing Forums (CPF)

“If a police officer is off duty and places themselves in a position to prevent crime or becomes a rescuer of people that are trapped in dams or pit toilets, and you sacrifice yourself by taking them out, that is beyond your duties. It is such individuals that we want to recognize,” Mkhwanazi said. -SAnews.gov.za

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