The unimaginable thought of saying goodbye to someone you love not knowing if they will not return home has become a reality for the Kutu family.
This after the brutal killing of Sergeant Malesela Kutu who served as a police officer at Ivory Park police station, east of Johannesburg for the past 17 years.
Anguish, unanswered questions and denial engulfed the Ivory Park hall on Thursday as Kutu’s wife, who was wailing, entered the hall carried by other family members because she struggled to walk.
She was accompanied by their children whose faces spoke of confusion and frustration..
Early-morning police patrol
Kutu, 43, was murdered in the early hours of Tuesday morning while on duty in Ebony Park, a township outside Midrand in the north-east of Johannesburg.
According to a source close to the investigation, Kutu and a colleague were on patrol when a man who identified himself as an e-hailing driver approached and told them that he was not feeling safe in his own home.
The duo accompanied the man to his residence and when they arrived, an unknown man who was inside the man’s yard opened fire at them.
Kutu took a hit, collapsed and died on the spot. He was reportedly shot twice on his upper body.
Sunday World understands that the murder weapon has been discovered and has been taken in for ballistic detection tests.
Police had not responded to Sunday World’s questions by the time of publishing.
Speaking at Kutu’s memorial service, his colleagues raised concerns and fears about the hostility they work under while protecting the community, day in and day out.
The officers described Kutu as a disciplined and dedicated member of the police force.
Police killings crippling
Ivory Park community police forum chairperson Joshua Mothuke said the killing of police officers across the country is crippling.
“We work closely with the police. Once we have a case, we run to them because we believe they’re much more equipped than us, but when something of this nature happens, you ask yourself if we are immune to criminals,” he said.
Mothuke said the area is struggling with various crimes ranging from murder, theft, rape and gender-based violence. Ivory Park and Ebony Park are neighbouring communities in Midrand, Johannesburg.
Many other community members also spoke fondly of Kutu.
But as sunset loomed, and the residents retracing their steps back to their homes, reality set in for the family that their son, husband and father was not coming back home with them.
