Traffic cop escorting Covid jabs killed in north crash
“I am deeply saddened by the passing away of one of the most diligent and dedicated officers within the Gauteng Traffic Police.”
A Gauteng traffic police officer, part of the motorbike unit of the special law-enforcement unit, was killed in a fatal car accident along the R566 Rosslyn Road, near Nkwe Estate on Tuesday morning.
The female biker officer, Poppy Moaka, was killed on the scene in the crash while she was escorting a bus carrying Covid-19 vaccines to a vaccination site in Tshwane.
Investigations by police into the fatal crash have already commenced, and preliminary information revealed that two other vehicles were involved in the fatal crash, including a police vehicle.
Gauteng community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko said she was saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of the officer.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing away of one of the most diligent and dedicated officers within the Gauteng traffic police.
“Officer Moaka will be remembered as a heroine who passed away in the line of duty, ensuring that the people of Gauteng get the vaccine [which is] essential in saving lives during this Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
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Mazibuko said that the provincial government would provide psycho-social support to the officer’s family through the Ikhaya Lethemba Victim Empowerment centres.
These centres offer various forms of counselling and assist victims of gender-based violence by regularly accommodating them and giving them professional assistance.
Additional services offered at the centres include medico legal support and skills development opportunities such as ancillary nursing, palliative care, child and youth care and home based care among others, to equip victims with the necessary skills to be independent and self-sustainable in their exit.
“As the Gauteng provincial government, we convey our deepest condolences to her family, friends and colleagues within the law-enforcement fraternity during these trying times,” she said.
Members of the public were also urged to refrain from sharing pictures and videos of the deceased from the scene of the crash.
