Pretoria- President Jacob Zuma will today address the national South African Police Service (SAPS) Commemoration Day that pays tribute to police officials who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty in the past 12 months will be remembered at a ceremony to be held at the Union Buildings.
The President and Police Minister Nathi Nhleko will also be joined by families and relatives of the fallen men and women in blue.
In August at a briefing to update the nation on progress made since the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February, President Zuma said 55 police officers have been killed since January this year.
The President called on the public to help in the fight against police killings, saying it requires a united action by both government and society.
“The rate at which police are being attacked and killed calls for united action by both government and society at large,” said President Zuma at the time.
He said an attack on police officers was an attack on both the authority of the state and on the nation.
Meanwhile, the SAPS has announced bold plans to curb police killings.
Briefing the parliamentary committee tasked with providing oversight over police last month, Deputy National Commissioner for policing Lieutenant-General John Sithole said police were implementing tactical and community-level plans in a bid to curb the killing of police officers while they were on and off duty.
The parliamentary committee heard that 57 police officers has fallen so far this year.-SAnews.gov.za
