City remembers its fallen heroines
02 February 2018
The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Herman Mashaba, has fired a warning shot at motorists who continue to drive drunk and put the lives of residents at risk with their irresponsible behaviour.
Addressing the families of 45-year-old slain JMPD Officer Sophie Ngoasheng and her 35-year-old colleague and friend, Sophie Mokgolo, at the JMPD Training Academy in Booysens on Thursday, 1 February 2018, Mayor Mashaba said: “I cannot begin to imagine the pain you feel. A drunk driver, with no regard for the lives of others and no regard for the law, took the lives of these two women.
“This was a murder and I believe each of us is justified in our anger towards this criminal,” Mayor Mashaba told over 700 JMPD officers crammed into the academy hall.
The mayor also announced that the City would launch Operation Buya Mthetho soon to reclaim Joburg from the clutches of lawlessness. “For too long criminals have been allowed to roam freely in this City. That’s about to end. If you break the law, you will pay the price,” he said to applause.
Ngoasheng, the mother of Kabelo and Nathaniel, and Mokgolo, the mother of Thabile and Lwandle, were fatally injured on Monday evening after a motorist lost control of his vehicle and rammed into a roadblock mounted by the JMPD along Witkoppen Road near Montecasino. They and their fellow officers had stopped three vehicles for a routine check when the driver of a double cab bakkie crashed into them.
Two other female officers, two passengers from the stopped vehicles as well as the driver of the double cab were seriously injured and taken to hospital by Emergency Management Services. JMPD Officer Patricia Nukeri, who suffered a broken collarbone, right leg and punctured lung, underwent surgery on Wednesday and is still in hospital.
Hundreds of JMPD officers and EMS officials blocked off parts of Witkoppen Road on Thursday morning, 1 February 2018, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the scene of the fatal crash.
Public Safety MMC, Cllr Michael Sun, urged the families to find comfort in the Word and songs of healing being sung by the Ekurhuleni Emergency Services’ Choir and the JMPD Brass Band.
“This is not the first memorial of a fallen officer that I have addressed. It never gets easier. Officers Ngoasheng and Mokgolo are the heroines of the City of Joburg. They did not spend enough time with their loved ones so that residents of Johannesburg can spend time with their families in peace.
“They gave their lives to greater service for the people of South Africa. The person who did this must face the full might of the law. Thank you for your hard work and thank you to the families for sharing your daughters with us,” said MMC Sun.
JMPD Chief David Tembe said Ngoasheng and Mokgolo had served the City with pride and dignity. He said he looked at their personal files and there was no blemish. They had not gone absent without leave or appeared before a disciplinary committee.
Pleading with Joburg residents, Chief Tembe said: “Please don’t kill us. We’re human like you. We have families like you. We’re part of the Joburg community.”