WATCH | ‘Don’t give up your guns’ — Mashatile urges police to fight back

Police

Cape Town – Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged members of the South African Police Service not to hesitate when confronted by violent criminals, warning that surrendering their weapons or retreating places both their lives and the state at risk.

He was speaking at the SAPS National Commemoration Day at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where families of officers who died in the line of duty gathered to honour their memory.

According to The Citizen, Mashatile told the assembled officers: “You must not die with your service firearms in your holsters. You have a duty to protect your lives… You must not surrender to any form of criminality.”

He reminded police that their safety is paramount and that their work remains central to upholding law and order in South Africa.

The ceremony paid tribute to 27 officers killed in the 2024/25 financial year, a decrease from 39 the previous year. Mashatile said every death was “a wound on the nation” and called for tougher measures to deter attacks on police.

He warned, “Attacking a police officer is an attack on the state itself, and it will be met with the full might of the law. We want to make sure that even touching a police officer carries the harshest punishment permitted by our laws, and where possible tighten these laws.”

The deputy president also addressed internal corruption, urging SAPS members to hold each other accountable. “We encourage all of you to uncover wrongdoing inside your ranks, regardless of who is involved,” he said, adding that restoring public trust depends on rooting out officers who abuse their positions.

 

The Herald reported that Mashatile outlined government’s broader response to the crisis facing law enforcement. This includes resourcing specialised policing units, strengthening intelligence gathering, tightening legislation, and investing in new technology to combat heavily armed criminals.

“We are resourcing specialised units, investing in advanced technology, strengthening intelligence, and tightening laws to deal decisively with those who target police officers,” he told mourners.

Community groups have also expressed concern about the rising dangers faced by police. As stated by Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union spokesperson Richard Mamabolo, the reduction in killings from 39 to 27 was welcome but still unacceptable, with criminals increasingly emboldened to target officers.

He said the union supported Mashatile’s call for harsher penalties, arguing: “When you kill a police officer, you kill the state’s ability to protect its people”, reported SABC News.

The event comes amid a broader national conversation on crime, as violent attacks on police have drawn criticism of both criminal justice policies and resource constraints. Analysts warn that without visible consequences for offenders, the cycle of violence will continue.

Mashatile’s insistence that officers defend themselves “with the full force of the law” is part of a growing push to restore confidence in a police service often accused of being under-resourced and demoralised.

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