Sorrow as SAPS pay tribute to one of their own
Sorrow and sadness were written on the faces of family members and Gauteng SAPS members as a whole as they bid farewell to the late WO Sipho Mthethwa (52).
Mthethwa, who was killed by one of three armed men on Thursday, was busy patrolling the streets of Vosloorus with other police officers when he was killed.
His memorial service was held on July 12 at Christian Ambassadors Church in Vosloorus.
Different stakeholders attended the memorial service of the fallen hero including Gauteng Provincial commissioner Lt Gen Deliwe de Lange, Gauteng Provincial Management, Ekurhuleni West and East Cluster commanders Maj Gen Ouma Korae and Maj Gen Gelly Mbhele, cluster commanders from other clusters, Vosloroorus SAPS commander Themba Denge and management, representatives from SAPU and CPF as well as EMPD and other Law Enforcement Agencies.
Cst Teboho Dlamini, who spoke on behalf of colleagues, said he was the bravest man he ever worked with.
“Mthethwa never said no when you told him to go arrest criminals. He would never make any excuses.
“I remember the other day when there was a robbery planned at the hostel. When we arrived the criminals noticed that the police had arrived. One of them was about to fire a shot at me but Mthethwa managed to grab him and took a weapon away from him. And we then arrested them,” recalls Dlamini.
He said those criminals were well-known and wanted all over the country for a variety of crime committed in different provinces.
“But they were put to justice just because of Mthethwa’s bravery.
Peter Ntsime, Deputy Provincial Commissioner thanked the family for lending Mthethwa to the force.
“We thank you for sharing him with us. He was one of us. The pain you are feeling, we feel it the same way.
“The sad thing about the police job is that it takes a lot from us. Our lives are in danger. At the end the public thank us by saying we are useless,” said Ntsime.
He said these days criminals are in charge and the police are useless.
Nomsa Mwelase, the Vosloorus CPF public relations officer said police are dying while criminals are getting away with everything.
She said Mthethwa was one of the hardworking police officers at Vosloorus.
“Every day you would see him carrying dockets. He took an oath and he died doing exactly what he took an oath for,” said Mwelase.
Gauteng Provincial police commissioner described Mthethwa as useful.
“He was an asset at the police station, not a liability. For 25 years het spent working as a police officer and he protected the community of Vosloorus. He took the bullet that was meant for someone else,” said de Lange.
She said Mthethwa died like a hero.
“Not because of the way he died but because of the way he lived,” she said.
She said the whole of Gauteng SAPS lost because Mthethwa is the one who trained new police officers who just joined the force.
“If God asked me before He took Mthethwa’s life, I would have said, I will give you 200 police officers but please spare the life of that one. That is how committed Mthethwa was,” concludes de Lange.
According to Mthethwa’s brother-in-law Walter Mbonambi who spoke on behalf of the family members, Mthethwa will be laid to rest on July 15 at the family home at KwaTembe Tribal Court in Manguzi (KZN).
The funeral service will start at 9am and will be laid to rest at the family graveyard at 2pm.
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