SAPS mourns three officers
| Author | Zainul Dawood, Thobeka Ngema and Nomvelo Mkhwanazi |
| Published date | 19 April 2022 |
| Publication title | Daily News |
Mathe said the latest casualty was an officer attached to the Pietermaritzburg Search and Rescue police diving unit.
“At about 11.30am on Sunday morning, 42-year-old Sergeant Busisiwe Mjwara was conducting a search in the Msunduzi River for three victims who had drowned earlier in the week, when she got into difficulty and drowned. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital but was sadly declared dead on arrival.
“During the same operation, K9 Leah from the Durban Central Search and Rescue unit also drowned. According to reports, Leah was attempting to assist Sergeant Mjwara when she also experienced difficulties,” Mathe said.
“The third member, 31-year-old Constable Thandazile Sithole, who was attached to the Durban Central police station, died when her home collapsed on her earlier this (last) week.”
Mathe said at least 30 police officers were affected by the floods, with some injured and many displaced after their homes were washed away.
Sithole was off-duty at her home with her five-year-old son and her room-mates when heavy rainfall caused a landslide. “Trees and rocks were washed away by heavy rains that caused the officer’s residence to fall. The house was therefore washed away with the officer inside. The room-mates managed to evacuate the house together with the officer’s son, and unfortunately, the officer couldn't make it to safety,” police said.
The eThekwini Fire Department, K9 unit, Metro Police and other police officers searched for the officer. “At about 11am, the officer was found stuck in the debris and had died,” police said.
On Saturday, Masemola led a delegation of senior managers from the Visible Policing and Operational Service Division, who spent the day assessing the organisation's operational response in providing support to the eThekwini district.
Additional members and resources from the SAPS Search and Rescue units in neighbouring provinces have been roped in to bolster search-and-rescue operations. The SAPS Airwing, K9 and police diving units as well as front-line officers have formed part of the government's efforts to strengthen support to affected areas.
Masemola said the deaths of the SAPS members was a blow to the organisation. “On behalf of the SAPS, let me take this opportunity to thank the deceased members for their service to the nation. These...
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