The SAPS is preparing to host its annual Commemoration Day on September 1 to honour 39 officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, including the Northern Cape’s own Constable Onkaetse Gideon Mandindi, who was tragically shot and killed while responding to a call in Kimberley on August 22, 2023.
THE SOUTH African Police Service (SAPS) is preparing to host its annual Commemoration Day on September 1 at the Union Buildings, to honour the brave men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty between April 2023 and March 2024.
In the lead-up to this solemn event, the SAPS is paying tribute to 39 fallen members who made the ultimate sacrifice during this period. This week, special recognition was given to one of the Northern Cape’s fallen heroes, Constable Onkaetse Gideon Mandindi, who tragically passed away on August 22, 2023.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe shared that Mandindi, a member of the Kimberley Flying Squad with 11 years of service, was only 35 years old at the time of his death.
On the fateful day of August 22 last year, Mandindi and his partner, Sergeant Kediemetse Masilo, responded to a call about a stolen vehicle near the Diamond Pavilion Mall in Kimberley. During the pursuit, the suspect disarmed the officers and shot and killed them both.
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The suspect, 38-year-old Daniel Alberts, a repeat offender according to police records, was arrested on the same day. He remains in police custody and is currently facing charges in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court, including two counts of murder, three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and one count of motor vehicle theft.
Mandindi leaves behind three children, the youngest of whom was just one year old at the time of his passing. His name, along with those of the other 38 fallen officers, will be engraved on the SAPS memorial wall at the Union Buildings, serving as a lasting tribute from the nation for his ultimate sacrifice in protecting the people of South Africa.
“To Constable Mandindi, the SAPS flag does not fly because the wind blows it: it flies with the last breath of every police officer who died defending it,” said Mathe.
“May your soul continue to rest in peace”
