Heroes' farewell for dead cops
2010-07-29 23:10
Pretoria - "That's my son. That's my son."
Doris Gouws tearfully said it over and over again as she entered the
memorial service for the seven police officers who were killed in a helicopter
crash last week.
The photo of her son was the first thing she and her family
saw as they walked into the Hatfield Christian Church.
They stood still at the portrait and couldn't stop
their tears.
Thinus Gouws was the co-pilot of the helicopter
in which seven members of the national intervention unit and air wing were
going to eMalahleni (Witbank) after a robbery.
It crashed in Pine Ridge, near the Klarinet squatter
camp.
General Bheki Cele described the seven men who died on
"Black Friday" as heroes.
"Their children won't have the luxury to call on
their fathers now. The SA Police must fill that gap. This organisation will be
a father to these children and a husband to these widows. We will look after
the families."
The force is poorer
On Thursday Cele had been in his post for exactly one
year. He said he really didn't want to "celebrate" the occasion in
such a way.
Nathi Mthethwa, minister of police, said: "South
Africa's police force became poorer on Friday."
About 2 500 people, including many members of the
police and the defence force, attended the service.
Marlise Henning, widow of Sergeant Kobus Henning, said
their 7-month-old baby boy will know that his father was a legend in his time.
"He was a wonderful man, a loving father, and above
all an incredible police officer."
Johan Henning paid tribute to his son with tears in
his eyes.
"He always wanted to be a policeman, and for us,
his family, this is an incredible loss to work through."
Captain Wickus Zaayman's father, Phillip, said the
only thing his son ever wanted to do, was to fly.
"It was his life's passion. He always said that,
when he died, he would prefer to die in an aircraft, and that's exactly how it
happened."
Zaayman jnr would have married Janine Croucamp on
October 9.
He was the pilot who took Cele and General Arno
Lamoer, chief of visible policing, to the opening ceremony of the WC 2010.
He was also one of the heroes in the Mozambican
floods, where he saved a child from the floodwaters.
According to Tholwana, wife of Colonel Percy Madunda,
commanding officer of the intervention unit, he was the perfect husband and he
loved his children very much, the youngest of which is only 2 months old.
The other victims were Colin Edward Davids, Dirk van
Aswegen and Colonel Daniël de Bruin. During his tribute, Lamoer said:
"They died the way they worked - fighting crime.
"While we mourn the loss of these policemen, the
angels are rejoicing behind us."
Cele's last words for his deceased comrades were:
"Rest safely now, you've done your job well, and know that we all will
miss you terribly."
- Beeld