The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has submitted an urgent letter to the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature expressing deep concern over the alarming increase in violent attacks and murders of police officers in the province.

This follows the tragic and senseless killing of Constable Khulani Shabangu (29) on 30 May 2025 in Lillydale, near Calcutta. Constable Shabangu, a member of the Volksrust visible policing unit, was ambushed at a local barbershop, stripped of his uniform, and fatally shot outside the premises. The perpetrators fled the scene in his official service vehicle.

This appalling incident underscores the escalating threat faced by law enforcement officials — individuals entrusted with maintaining public safety are now becoming targets themselves, ambushed in public spaces and even attacked in their homes.

Such acts of violence are not merely criminal; they constitute a direct assault on the rule of law and public order.

The VF Plus has formally requested that the MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Mr Jackie Macie, urgently consider the implementation of the following measures:

• A comprehensive risk assessment of threats to police officers;
• A protective strategy incorporating trauma support, intelligence coordination, and enhanced operational protocols;
• Thorough investigations into all attacks on police personnel, with a zero-tolerance approach to lawlessness; and
• An internal wellness programme focusing on the mental health and psychological well-being of officers.

The continued erosion of officer safety poses a significant risk to the integrity of policing and public security. The VF Plus urges the ANC-led government to act decisively before further lives are lost.

#VFPlus #PoliceSafety #PublicOrder #KhulaniShabangu #Mpumalanga #CommunitySafety