Ward 3 holds night vigil for slain ADT officer

Proclamation Hill residents held a night vigil this week to honour a local on-duty security officer who was gunned down last week.

Luckmore Moyo was on duty on April 13 when a suspicious car pulled up next to where he was parked.

Two armed suspects accosted and shot him dead at point-blank range.

A large crowd of ward 3 residents gathered at the spot the beloved officer was gunned down on the corner of Mica and Kiepersol streets on April 20 to show their support for Moyo’s family, friends and colleagues.

“This was one of the most difficult things we have had to process,” said employer, ADT Pretoria Central branch manager, Bennie Coetzee.

“We have lost a friend, a comrade and a colleague. We will take lessons from this going forward and we can say he will be sorely missed.

“We would also like to send our sincerest condolences to the family.”

Affectionately referred to as Lucky by the locals, Moyo had been with ADT since May 2020. He had patrolled the streets of ward 3 for several years, building bonds with residents in the process.

Colleagues, friends, neighbours and family all expressed sentiments of what Lucky meant to them and the area, the common one being that he was always ready and willing to lend a hand.

“He was funny – that was my favourite thing about Lucky,” said one of the organisers of the vigil and resident, Mokgabo Emelda Molekoa.

“He was known for his jokes and how he was always there to help if you called. He left his mark on this area as you can see Proclamation is a very diverse group and you can see this man had an impact,” Molekoa said.

The vigil was mostly organised by community members Sonja Theron, Wendy Oelofse and Mokgabo.

Lucky’s pregnant wife and daughter as well as other family members were in attendance to thank the residents for their support.

The neighbour whose CCTV camera caught the shooting gave the victim’s widow flowers.

“Sadly, something like this has to happen to bring us together but it shows that we can stand together,” said Oelofse.

“Crime in this area is out of hand. It’s not just Proclamation, it’s all of ward 3, Pretoria West and Kwaggasrand. The SAPS and TMPD are supposed to be doing crime prevention but we have none; we need more patrols by law enforcement,” Oelofse continued.

The mourners signed a petition they hope will help address crime in the area, and they want it taken to the Tshwane council. In addition, residents said they are planning to have ADT install cameras at all the entrances to the area.

“We need to capture every car that’s entering and leaving; even if it’s just a false number plate, it will go a long way,” said Sonja Theron.

Mokgabo, however, remains sceptical.

“Right now, I’m not sure anything will change because this isn’t the first petition we’ve had, we’ve been swapping and changing councillors and nothing changes.

“The crime around here is very alarming. There’s always drama every day, whether it’s hijackings or robberies. Only yesterday we heard some people were cutting cables nearby. We just don’t feel safe anymore,” Mokgabo said.

Police are looking for the two killers and the getaway vehicle driver.

Anyone with any information that could lead to arrests can call the ADT tip-off line on 083 939 0300 or the local police.

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