Durban - A high-level, multi-disciplinary team has been established to apprehend those responsible for the murder of KwaZulu-Natal Community Policing Forum (CPF) provincial chairperson, Prince Mathenjwa.
The police said in a statement on Thursday that SAPS national commissioner General Fannie Masemola, together with provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, led a delegation of senior police officers from both the police’s headquarters and provincial office to visit the grieving family of the late CPF member in Eniwe, Empangeni.
“Mr Mathenjwa was shot multiple times outside his home last Thursday by unknown men. A case of murder has been registered and the case has been handed over to the Provincial Investigating Unit for further investigation.
“At the time of his death, Mr Mathenjwa had been involved and had dedicated much of his life to the cause of serving within CPF structures at national, provincial and local level for more than 20 years.”
The police said ge was a member of the National Community Police Consultative Forum, the provincial chairperson of the KZN CPF board, and a member of the King Cetshwayo District CPF board.
The police said his death came at a time when officers were hard at work to rebuild and strengthen community police relations and changing the prevailing negative perception that existed towards the police.
“As an organisation, we continue to engage communities in the nine provinces with the assistance of our CPFs through our ministerial imbizos while at the same time analysing the effectiveness of our existing community police structures, this with the view of ensuring that we adequately resource these structures,” the statement said.
Addressing the family, close friends and colleagues of Mathenjwa, General Masemola called on communities to work together with the SAPS in rebuilding community-police relations.
“We must stand together and flush out all criminals in our midst. We must continue where Mr Mathenjwa left off and work together to ensure that we fight crime and all its remnants with relentless dedication.
“Today, I urge all community members in our midst to not remain silent and ignorant to the deeds of criminals, but assist us by reporting wrongdoing to the police.
“The attacks and killing of our men and women in blue, reservists, community police forum members cannot continue unabated,” said Masemola.
Mathenjwa will be laid to rest on Saturday, August 20 in Empangeni.