Constables Thapelo Tlomatsane (29) and Sphiwe Sibeko (28) were remembered as brave young officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while responding to violence in Reiger Park.

“You may take lives, but you will not take our courage.”
That is the defiant message from Reiger Park SAPS as the local police station pays tribute to the two young SAPS Anti-Gang Unit officers killed while carrying out their duties in the community.

Tlomatsane and Sibeko were killed in an apparent ambush on Friday evening, August 7, while responding to a shooting that also claimed the lives of two civilians, Jaydin Magerman (27) and Roleen Lessing (31), leaving the Reiger Park community mourning and grappling with yet another deadly incident of violence.

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Both officers had served in the SAPS for less than five years.
The two officers were remembered at a memorial service held on Wednesday at the Assemblies of Christ Lighthouse Community Church in Westdene, Johannesburg, where police management, colleagues, family members, friends and relatives gathered to pay tribute to them.

But closer to home, Reiger Park SAPS Acting Station Commander Captain Glen Whitford shared a message on behalf of the station and the wider community, describing the two officers as men who understood the dangers of their work but still answered the call.

“They knew what it meant to respond to a shooting in an environment where criminals are prepared to use violence without hesitation. But they went anyway,” the tribute reads.
“They heard that people were being attacked, and they responded.”

The station said the officers’ decision to respond despite the danger was an example of courage and dedication to their duty.
“And in doing so, they made the ultimate sacrifice,” it said.

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‘We will not allow your sacrifice to be forgotten’
The tribute acknowledged the pain suffered by the families of the two officers, saying there were no words that could repair what had been taken from them.
But it also sought to assure their loved ones that their deaths would not be forgotten.

“We remember you. We honour you. And we will not allow your sacrifice to be forgotten.”
The tribute said the officers died doing what they had sworn to do, protecting the people of the country.
“They answered the call. And they paid the highest price.”

A call to stand against gangs
The local police station also used the tribute to send a strong message about the fight against organised crime and gangs in Reiger Park.
It called on residents to stand with police, reject the culture of silence and refuse to glorify gangs and violence.

“The people of this community must stand together with the police, not with criminals,” said the station in the tribute.
“We must reject the culture of silence. We must reject the glorification of gangs. We must reject the idea that violence is normal.”

The station said organised crime not only destroys communities but also tears families apart, pointing to the loss of mothers, daughters, sons and now police officers who stood between criminals and innocent people.

It urged residents to support police by providing information that could help investigators and make it increasingly difficult for criminals to hide among ordinary residents.

‘Your watch is over’
The tribute also reminded the community that behind every police uniform is a human being – a son, brother, father, husband or loved one.
It called on residents to honour the fallen officers not only with words, but through action and by supporting the fight against organised crime.

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