Speech by the Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de
Lille, at the memorial service for Superintendent
Mpumelelo Xakekile
The Western Cape MEC for Community Safety, Dan Plato;
The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman. JP
Smith;
The Chief of Metro Police, Wayne Le Roux;
Members of the City’s law enforcement team;
Members of the Xakekile family;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Good morning, goeie môre, molweni.
This is an extremely sad moment for the people of Cape Town.
Today we pay tribute to a man who dedicated his life to help keep this
city safe.
I had the privilege of working with Superintendent Xakekile just two
weeks ago during a special drug raid in Council-owned houses in Hanover
Park and Kewtown.
He was responsible for protecting me throughout the operation, waiting
with me while his fellow officers secured the area.
He drove me around that night, keeping me safe.
In that brief encounter, I witnessed a man who was dedicated to, and
passionate about, his job.
That dedication and passion is evident in all the men and women who
work day and night to make our city safe.
Supt. Xakekile was so committed to rooting out lawlessness in the city
that he could not let a violation of the law go unpunished simply because
he was not on duty.
He was as dedicated to maintaining law and order in the city when he was
off duty as he was on duty.
After his death, Alderman JP Smith and I visited his wife, Mrs. Nomzingisi
Xakekile and their daughter, Nompululelo, on behalf of the City to convey
our condolences.
We tried, as much as we could, to share their grief and pain.
Nomzingisi’s husband was murdered on her birthday.
Today I want to reiterate what I said to Mrs. Xakekile that day.
We are with you and your family during this difficult period.
Your loss is ours, too.
Your husband was one of us, as a family.
He was a hero in life as he was in his tragic death.
We are doing everything we can to ensure that justice is achieved for his
death.
We are living in a sick society where people took away an innocent life for
the fun of it.
We will leave no stone unturned to bring the murderers to book.
We will not let the men and women who keep us safe feel unsafe in the
line of duty.
We will provide them with the support they need to keep our city safe,
without fearing for their lives.
This is a time to recommit ourselves to make Cape Town the Safe City we
want it to be.
We must unite our efforts to make this city safe in memory of those who
have sacrificed everything to help and build the Cape Town of tomorrow.
We must unite to ensure that Supt. Xakekile‘s efforts to make our city
safe were not in vain.
A grateful City remembers Mpumelelo Hubert Xakekile, a true son of Cape
Town’s soil.
Hamba Kahle.
God bless.