National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola has sent his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of a policeman who lost his life when the flash floods battered Soweto and some parts of Johannesburg last week.
The body of Warrant Officer Ntsako Pataka, 36, was recovered on Sunday in the township.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, spokesperson for the police, said an off-duty Pataka was swept away by the flash floods while he was driving in his car.
“Pataka was attached to the protection and security services division where he served as an in-transit VIP protector. The member had 15 years of service, having joined the organisation in 2007,” Mathe said.
Masemola thanked the search and rescue teams and emergency personnel who worked around the clock to recover the body of Pataka.
“This is a tragic ending for us as the SAPS [SA Police Service] and the family of the member. We were hoping for a positive outcome. We thank all teams involved in this operation for their efforts in finding the body of the deceased member,” Masemola said.
“To Warrant Officer Ntsako Pataka, [the] SAPS management salutes you for choosing to serve your country with diligence and honour until your untimely death. May your soul rest in perfect peace.”
The residents of Soweto, Roodepoort, Florida and surrounding areas woke up in flooded homes and destroyed roads after the heavy rains battered the areas on Thursday night and Friday morning.
The heavy rains came days after a hailstorm caused infrastructure damage in some parts of Gauteng on Monday. On Wednesday, the Joburg City Power pleaded for patience and cooperation from customers, saying it was racing against time to fix the damage.
The heavy downpour flooded transformer chambers, caused damage to street poles, uprooted trees and damaged overhead cables and electricity infrastructure.
Isaac Mangena, spokesperson for City Power, said on Wednesday that the utility was dealing with a backlog of 2 500 calls from aggrieved customers.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
