A memorial service was held on Thursday for the senior Tshwane metro top cop, Velli Masemula, who was murdered on Monday.
The 39-year-old Masemula’s lifeless body was found a few metres from his vehicle on the Mabopane freeway on Monday. His body was discovered with several stab and gunshot wounds.
According to the metro police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba, his body was found by a passer-by.
“We arrived on the scene to find the officer’s car still idling, his two cell phones, house keys and some belongings still in the car. Upon searching the surroundings, we found him dead about 15 metres from his car, with stab and gunshot wounds,” said Mahamba. The mysterious death of the officer is being investigated as police are trying to determine the motive of the murder.”
Masemula was the chief security officer at the metro police department. Family members and several co-workers attended the memorial service at the TMPD headquarters in Pretoria West on Thursday morning.
Masemula, who was responsible for police protection services in Tshwane’s Region 5, was described as a dedicated and a responsible cop who was always diligent to his duties. One of Masemula’s colleagues, Gwen Mashau stated the deceased was a hard worker and often stayed long hours to finalise his duties. “He is one guy who was very stubborn and he was not shy to speak his mind. He was a very humbled person and he was loved by people in our department,” she said.
Mahamba said a special task team has been established to investigate Masemula’s mysterious death. Mahamba said: “As the department, our chief of police has established a team that will work jointly with the SAPS to make sure that we arrest the people responsible for this death. We are shocked, we are worried about this death,” he said during the service.
Masemula’s son Daluxolo cried loud during the ceremony when the speakers described his deceased father during the service. One of the family members fainted outside the hall while she was busy trying to calm Masemula’s son. The occasion was also attended by the metro’s MMC for community safety, Terrence Mashego. Mashego offered a stern warning to the perpetrators of crime and also promised the family that his department will hunt for the cop’s killers and apprehend them. He also announced that they are going to establish a memorial tombstone at the TMPD office where the names of all the slain metro police cops will be written. “As we mourn with the Masemula family during this trying times I also want to officially state that we are going to erect a big stone here that will be used to write the names of all the deceased metro police officers. We want to always remember our cops. This will be done as soon as possible,” he said.
MMC Mashego stated that the commemoration of the metro cops will be conducted yearly on 16 December. The Masemula family announced that the funeral proceedings will commence at 51b Block DD in Soshanguve on Saturday at 06:00 to Akasia Hall where the service will begin at 10:00 in the morning. The deceased will be laid to rest at Nina Park Cemetery on Saturday.
