SAPS members are expected to promote, redress and prevent crimes against women and children, however some women and men in blue find themselves on the opposite end of the law committing heinous crimes.The South African Police Union (Sapu) has expressed concern about the mental health of police officers and said it should be prioritised.
KILLED BY PARTNERS IN BLUE
One of the incidents that drew public attention is that of Lebo Monene, a nurse who was shot and killed by her cop lover in the parking lot of Tembisa Hospital in February 2022. Lucky Mudau is accused of premeditated murder of Monene. He also shot himself but survived, however he is paralysed and using a wheelchair. The family is frustrated by the delays in the matter and worried about the progress. Monene's brother Daniel Thobakgale says their mourning period is interrupted by the constant court postponements which are delaying their healing process. He said there's not much to say because their focus is on the matter and making sure that his baby sister finds justice. "This matter is taking longer than expected but we will continue coming even though it's just painful to see the man that killed my sister. I hope he is jailed for life but I don't see that happening." Another incident is that of Maurice Mabasa who was stabbed 80 times and found in Olifantsfontein in October 2015. His partner, the headline making Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu was linked to the murder brutal murder. Rosemary is gulity of killing her family and monetising their deaths for insurance payouts is alleged to have benefitted in over a million from insurance. Mabasa's sister, Lucerth Mabasa, says they are still wondering what was going through Rosemary's mind when she planned so much evil. "I took her as a sister-in-law. I treated her as my biological sister. My mother didn't love her at all. She didn't trust Ndlovu. If she hadn't been arrested, we could not have known that she was the mastermind behind my brother's murder. We only became aware in 2018 that she allegedly planned to kill my brother for insurance funds."
SAPU CONCERNED ABOUT MEMBERS
South African Police Service Union expressed concern over the mental health of its members. Sapu national spokesperson Lesiba Thobagale said,"The South African Police Service needs to make sure that employee health and wellness is working and functioning properly because currently it has collapsed. It does not have the necessary professionals who are psychiatrists and phycologists, inclusive of social workers who are supposed to assist our members when they have attended crime scenes, even when they have their own personal challenges at home."He said murdering a partner was inexcusable, regardless of the personal problems someone was facing. "We condemn any form of violence. There is no one who can use the excuse to kill a partner or to kill somebody else...it is unjustifiable."
