Police must be ‘combat ready’ when fighting against criminals: Mchunu at funeral service for slain SAPS official

Police minister Senzo Mchunu has called on police to be “combat ready” when responding to callouts amid the crime wave that’s gripping the country.

Mchunu spoke at the funeral service of slain Hammersdale W/O Moses Dumisani Ndlovu, 56, on Saturday. He was accompanied by SAPS top brass including national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

“I would like to appeal to you, Masemola and Mkhwanazi, to come up with a rule which informs how police are deployed when responding to crime scenes. Whether it is a robbery or other there should be regulations to be followed. Police should not go alone and they should not go empty-handed in the hope that criminals would obey their presence,” said Mchunu.

He said the country was in a different era, one in which people thought of as being human were anything but human.

“I can’t even call them criminals or thugs. From now on I think whenever police are called on, they should come in sizeable numbers, as per procedure and rule. Even if we delay the response time, so be it. There should be more than one or two police officers.”

Ndlovu was killed alongside his colleague, erstwhile station manager Capt Naveen Pather, 56, when they responded to a call in Cliffdale on Saturday. Pather was laid to rest on Monday.

Mchunu said police officers should be prepared for any eventuality in a way that would allow them to protect themselves.

“We should not be in a position of saying, ‘had we done this and that then maybe we could have countered the attack.’ It’s exactly how I felt when I learnt of the passing of W/O Ndlovu and Capt Pather in Cliffdale last Saturday. That is why there needs to be this rule.”

He said this was also in light of another, separate incident which claimed the life of Capt Mandla Khubisa at Esikhaleni in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Khubisa, who was off-duty, was responding to a robbery at his neighbour’s house.

“Khubisa’s wife had reached out to him about the robbery. He wasted no time and responded to the scene. They both went there and were met with gunfire from criminals. The woman was wounded and is in a coma at this stage,” said Mchunu.

The incident left one criminal fatally wounded.

Mchunu said he was disturbed by how a criminal in Cliffdale had dispossessed Ndlovu of his service pistol after he had killed him.

“He was unruly and disrespectful. He had done what we also warn the public about. SAPS are the only people who are given the prerogative of safeguarding communities 24 hours a day.”

The SAPS were “empowered by the constitution of the republic,” he said.

“If you attack the community, it is as good as attacking the whole country. It’s an attack on the state. It is for this reason Ndlovu’s casket was draped with the SA flag. When Ndlovu took the oath, he vowed to protect the state.”

Mchunu was scathing about Ndlovu’s killer: “That really was an evil and satanic hand. The killer should not have been with us in the first place. It was even a mistake that he lived among us. I cannot even describe his acts.”

If it were up to him, he said, the killer would be buried “12 feet under” so he could never rise again. Mchunu said he was aware that the killer had possessed an illegal firearm.

Mchunu also condemned the scourge of gender-based violence that reared its head in the province this week, leaving five people dead in two separate incidents.

Ndlovu’s daughter, Samukeliswe Ndlovu, 32, said she was shattered by the death of her father.

“He was not only a father but a best friend. I would phone him whenever I was bored at work and he would complain about how frequently I checked up on him,” she said.

Despite their close bond her father was a no-nonsense person who ensured they do not fall off the rails, she said.

“He was a strict man. Growing up, I did not go to the shops by myself. My father always ensured bread was brought to our home. I have been questioning what my father did at last Saturday’s crime scene, which he had never done before. I did not expect to bury him. He loved us but he gave us tough love.”

Ndlovu was chairperson of Bus Life, a club for VW enthusiasts. Club secretary Sandile Madondo said they were heartbroken by the loss.

“The leadership skills Ndlovu possessed were something we need as a society. This club has helped us to celebrate. Even though we faced some challenges as individuals, those challenges were no match for the bond we shared as a club,” said Madondo.

“Ndlovu was the glue and the pillar of this club and a born leader. Whoever did this also took part of our lives.”

According to police spokesperson Brig Jay Naicker, the killer was wounded during a shoot-out with police and died after fleeing the scene. A firearm stolen from one of the police officers was found in his possession.

Acting Hammersdale station commander Capt Khulekani Zitha said Ndlovu’s career could be traced back to 1988. In 1995 he moved to Hammersdale, where he ascended to the role of sergeant. In 2013 he became branch commander of the station.

“He was passionate about his work and loved his laptop. When dabbling with his laptop he never played games but he got stuck into work. He was always early at work," said Zitha. 

While he was at a loss to find the right words to comfort the grieving Ndlovu family, Zitha  was grateful to the family for having lent the SAPS an officer of Ndlovu’s calibre.

“Throughout his tenure, I knew him as someone who was healthy and clean, which was a clear indication that he came from a warm family.”

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