The family of murdered Mfuleni police constable, Ncedo Katoyi, has described his untimely death as a massive loss to the family.
Constable Katoyi was gunned down by six armed men near Site C plaza, while responding to a complaint on Tuesday April 10.
He died on the scene and his service pistol was taken, while his colleague was wounded.
The 39-year-old officer was stationed at Khayelitsha police station. He leaves behind his wife and three children, including a 10-month-old baby boy.
A R100 000 reward has been offered to anyone who can assist police with the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.
Constable Katoyi had been in the police service for 10 years.
Community Safety MEC, Dan Plato, condemned the killing. He said his department and the SAPS wanted to send a strong message to police killers that their actions would not be tolerated.
“My condolences to the family. I want to urge our police to continue with their hard work. The Western Cape government and my office stand by them in these difficult times,” said Mr Plato.
Family spokesperson, Monwabisi Jobela, said the family was battling to come to grips with Constable Katoyi’s sudden death.
He said Constable Katoyi had lost his parents many years ago and his entire family was dependent on him.
“He was the family provider. His wife is not taking the news well of his passing. His elder daughter was not coping as well. But the most painful thing was that he had left his children behind. And now they have to grow up without a father. He loved his job and wore the police uniform with pride and dignity,” he said.
Mr Jobela described Constable Katoyi as a people’s person who loved his family dearly. He said he was a talkative person who loved his job.
He said the family plans to bury him in the Eastern Cape town of Comfivaba.
During a visit to the family on Thursday April 12, Police Minister Bheki Cele, accompanied by his deputy, Bongani Mkhongi, vowed to find the killers.
Constable Katoyi’s wife, Noluthando, wept silently as Mr Cele addressed the mourning family.
Mr Cele told the family that the criminals had murdered one of their own and they were also grieving for his loss.
He promised the family that their children’s educational needs would be covered by the police trust.
He said Constable Katoyi died protecting the country and had dedicated his life to keeping the community safe.
“Our member has been murdered. We are appealing to the community to assist us in finding the killers of Constable Katoyi. Losing a police officer in the line of duty is painful.”
Mr Cele also visited the scene where Constable Katoyi’s was killed and interacted with the residents. He appealed to them to assist the police officers in apprehending the killers.
Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson, Ndithini Tyhido, said they condemned the attack of police officers.
He said Khayelitsha was one of the areas that battled to fight crime.
He said he hoped that Mr Cele would approve plans to build a permanent police station in Site C and improve police visibility.
