Remembered beyond the badge
Behind every name on the SAPS memorial plaque is a life, a family and a story. At Linden Police Station, eight families returned to remember loved ones who died serving their communities.
Eight families gathered at Linden Police Station as Gauteng police honoured officers who lost their lives in the line of duty during the 2025/26 financial year.
The names etched into the SAPS memorial plaque at Linden Police Station represent more than fallen officers; they represent husbands, wives, parents, siblings, friends and community members whose lives ended while serving others. Wreaths were laid in their honour, while family members were each given a single red rose to place at the memorial. For some, the moment was simply too painful, with tears flowing as they stood before the names of their loved ones.
Read more: Sophiatown, Brixton and Linden crime climbs as latest SAPS statistics reveal worrying trends
Learners from De La Salle Holy Cross College, Hoërskool Randburg and Blairgowrie Primary School also attended, helping release white doves as a symbol of remembrance and peace.
For Major General Fred Kekana, Gauteng acting provincial commissioner, the memorial is a painful reminder of the human cost of policing. “Personally, it’s heartbreaking,” he said, describing the loss of even one officer as one life lost too many.
He said the loss affects police officers emotionally, but their sense of purpose keeps them going. “We get strength from the call and the purpose,” said Kekana. “Hence, we say, them falling while saving must not be in vain.”
He said SAPS has a responsibility to ensure fallen officers are remembered not merely as statistics, but through continued support for their families. Kekana highlighted the service’s support for the children of deceased members, including assistance with their education from preschool through tertiary level, with the aim of helping them achieve their potential. “We owe them to be honest, and continue to serve with pride, in dedication, and honour, to their fallen heroes,” he said.
For Joyce Sema, the commemoration was both an honour and a painful reminder of what her family had lost. Her husband, Sergeant Sello Sema, was killed in the line of duty. “It means a lot,” she said. “It shows that they won’t be forgotten. They will be remembered for the work that they did, and that they also died for the people of South Africa.”
She remembers a man who took his work seriously, loved his family and would return from work and tell them about his day. “He loved his family. We just miss everything about him,” she said.
Sema hopes the public will remember that behind the uniform is a human being with people who love and depend on them. “They are also human. They also have families,” she said.
For her, the words ‘fallen hero’ carry both pride and pain. “He died for the country,” she said, “but he left his family behind. People who actually loved him.”
At Linden, the roses, wreaths and rising white doves offered a visible reminder that while the officers may have fallen in service, their names – and the families they left behind – remain part of the story.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!
