Ongoing investigation into the tragic deaths of three Gauteng police officers
Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale says investigation is still underway into the deaths of the three officers that died while en route to deployment in Limpopo
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Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale said the investigation into the vehicle that was involved in the accident that claimed the lives of three police officers that died en route to deployment in Limpopo was still under investigation.
Responding to questions and answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Mathale said constables Linda Cebekhulu, Keamogetswe Buys and Boipelo Senoge were involved in an accident at the Hennops River in Centurion.
'The investigation around the vehicle has not been concluded. They are ongoing and as far as we are concerned, up to now, it is an accident,' he said.
'If there is any other matter associated with their death, I think, the further investigations will bring that but it is an accident as we speak. If you recall the day that this happened it was raining and we are convinced that indeed that played a role in that regard,' Mathale said.
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He also said the fallen constables were assigned work related to intelligence gathering in areas affected by illegal mining.
Cebekhulu and Buys, from the Free State Crime Intelligence, were deployed in Limpopo's Waterberg District and Capricorn District to gather intelligence on illegal mining activities in support of Operation Vala Umgodi.
'At the time of their disappearance, both members were returning to their respective deployment areas following authorized rest leave and were traveling in a private vehicle,' Mathale said.
Senoge was attached to Park Road police station and was also traveling to Limpopo during her rest period as a passenger in the same vehicle Cebekhulu and Buys were in.
Mathale said all necessary steps are taken to ensure that the safety of officers involved in high risk operation such as Vala Umgodi was a priority.
'The issue of the safety of police officers is a priority for SAPS, and that's why in their training programmes, there is issue of survival and how to deal with situations that can arise in the course of their work.'
He noted that officers leave their homes to go to work expecting to come back, but at the same time it was possible that they might not return to back home safely.
'Extensive training is done to them so that at all material times they are able to respond to situations that might arise without being fully warned about it in order to deal with that.'
Mathale said SAPS has taken a decision that the issue of body-worn cameras must be implemented.
'Of course, there have been delays, but these are delays that we are dealing with as the leadership of the institution,' he said.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za
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