Police officials give a final salute to Sergeant Mandla Khuzwayo, who died following an ambush in Mount Edgecombe last month.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers.
The funeral service for slain police officer Sergeant Mandla Khuzwayo took place on Saturday in KwaMashu.
Khuzwayo succumbed to his injuries after he and his partner, Captain Louis Nel, were shot during an ambush in Mount Edgecombe last month.
Nel died at the scene while Khuzwayo died in hospital this week. Nel has already been laid to rest in an official state funeral.
In April, IOL reported that the men, attached to the South African Police Service Crime Intelligence Unit, were travelling along Flanders Drive when they came under attack.
"KZN VIP Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene alongside security partners, where they found a vehicle riddled with bullet holes and two injured officers," KZN VIP spokesperson, Gareth Naidoo said.
The South African Police Service are bidding a final farewell to the late Sergeant Mandla Khuzwayo during an official funeral in KwaMashu on Saturday,
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers.
Police officers at Sgt Khuzwayo's funeral
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers.
Speaking following news of Khuzwayo's passing, Acting SAPS National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane condemned the continued killing of police officers both on and off duty, describing the attacks as a direct assault on the authority of the state and the country’s crime-fighting capability.
"The loss of Sergeant Khuzwayo is yet another painful reminder of the dangers our members face daily in the execution of their duties. We remain deeply concerned by the targeting of police officers and are intensifying measures aimed at enhancing and improving police safety," Dimpane said.
She added that police will not rest until the suspects are found and prosecuted.
"A dedicated team remains hard at work following all possible leads. Investigations into the incident are continuing," she said.
seanne.rall@iol.co.za
IOL