City honours fallen members
04 July 2026
The annual Remembrance Day commemoration honours staff who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Read more below:
The annual Remembrance Day Service is held alongside a memorial wall in the Civic Centre that was first unveiled in 2017, to pay tribute to enforcement and emergency services staff members who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
'Every name we remember today represents a life of service. A person who chose a profession that asked more of them than most careers ever will. They understood that wearing the uniform meant accepting risks that many people would never willingly face. That choice alone deserves our respect. Whether serving in Metro Police, Law Enforcement, Traffic Services, Fire & Rescue Service or Disaster Risk Management, these men and women accepted a simple but profound responsibility: to protect others, even when doing so placed them in harm's way,' said Executive Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Three Safety and Security Directorate staff members died in the line of duty in the past year:
- Law Enforcement Officer, Mogamat Shakeel Abrahams died in a motor vehicle accident on 17 August 2025
- Metro Police Neighbourhood Safety Officer, Tyler Lamb died on 7 November in Kensington after falling from a roof during a scuffle with a suspect
- Firefighter, Mario Aisley succumbed to a heart attack on duty on 13 May 2026
LEAP officer, Lyle Thomas too will be honoured on the memorial wall on the Concourse Level at the Civic Centre. Thomas was off duty when he came upon an accident scene and identified himself accordingly to assist SAPS. He was hit by a passing drunk driver shortly after.
The wall will now features the names of 51 staff members who have died in the line of duty, dating back to 1907.
'Today is an opportunity for us to celebrate and honour members who passed in the line of duty, but we must never lose sight of the fact that those who passed off duty also left an impact, were also somebody's friend, someone's partner, and someone's family member, and I would like to take a moment to mention them: Yonke Pakade, Luyolo Mene, Nopinki April, Gavin du Preez, Francois Slabbert.'I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of our staff for their hard work and dedication. I want to ask: look out for each other, guide where you can, encourage where you need to, and help where you are required to, because together, we are stronger as a directorate,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Full speech: https://bit.ly/3TgpZr8
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
