As a mother and grandmother, my heart goes out to all the families of those members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) who died tragically this morning; and also to those who are recuperating from their injuries in hospital. As Government, we are aggrieved, and hence we always say that, each day must be recognised as a Police Day, as our police officers respond to emergencies and fight crime every day.
 
On sombre moments like these, we take a moment to reflect on the difficult task facing our men and women in blue. We realise that police officers are unsung heroes who dedicate their lives towards securing a stable and peaceful South Africa. It is with this reason that Police Management must always prioritise the well-being of our police officers, as they take risks that are very hard for most of us ordinary people to imagine.
 
This morning, these six officers were called upon to thwart a dangerous situation; and they did not give any excuse, but marched forward to the scene with commitment and vigour. It is our hope then that the media will pronounce not only on how they died or got injured in line of duty; but will also celebrate and honour these six officers and all those other policemen and women who died in line of duty, as exceptional heroes and heroines of our democracy.
 
Today, tomorrow, together and forever, we as the South African Nation must always applaud our police officers, who continue giving dignity to our Constitution and indeed to the blue uniform, as their bravery and commitment most often are met with loss of their lives.
 
May the souls of our departed police officers rest in peace; and wishing our recuperating officers a speedy recovery.