The heroes of the Western Cape Traffic Department, who died in the line of duty, were honoured in a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday.
The provincial traffic services and MEC for mobility, Daylin Mitchell, accompanied by relatives of the dead officers, gathered at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell.
The college is the cornerstone of the traffic fraternity, where most traffic officers in the province received their initial training.
Eighteen uniformed officers were honoured and their families handed candles after the wreaths were placed along the Wall of Remembrance.
Mitchell says: “The ceremony at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell is probably the single most notable event on the Transport Month calendar.
“It is only fitting that the fallen heroes who contributed significantly towards safer transport are remembered and honoured during National Transport Month.
“These officers and men and women in blue heroically passed on in the line of duty.”
“It is unfortunate that too many road users are still losing their lives on our roads due to negligence and a complete disregard to fellow road users.
“Families lose loved ones such as parents who are breadwinners, and children their parents due to these road accidents.”
Widow Jacqueline Samela, 56, was at the ceremony to honour her husband, provincial inspector Elliot Samela, 50. He was murdered in 2014 in the Eastern Cape while visiting family.
“The event meant a lot to me because it says they are still thinking about the members even a long time after they’ve passed on,” she says.
“Being at the event just brought back the memory of the day he was killed, I got really emotional.”
Cynthia Willemse, 50, tells the Daily Voice she could finally give her husband Jan, 41, who died of an illness, a proper send-off.
“He died in June 2020 and at the time we couldn’t have funerals [due to lockdown regulations] and the commemoration was like the funeral I would have given him.”
The other officers honoured were: Leslie van Oord, Mark Jansen, Tamsanqa Pantsi, Anthony September, Zintle Tsutsu, Phumzile Banisi, Leighwyn Bester, Wandisile Dlepu, Lisel-Jo Willemse, Charmaine Olivier, Siyamthemba Nongxaza, Willis Smith, Siphokazi Fihla, Mbulelo Dyani, Thembisile Nongogo and Lunga Fuzani.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za