By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Heartbreak and anger filled the air in Tseki yesterday as Police Constable Malema Victor “Mopheme” Moloi, 37, was laid to rest — just days after he was gunned down in a road rage attack in Lusaka on Sunday, 27 July.
Colleagues, friends, and family hailed Moloi as a principled, dedicated, and hardworking officer who served the community with passion and integrity.
He was remembered as a loving father who adored his children and went beyond the call of duty in his work.
Police union POPCRU’s Maluti chairperson, Tshepo Thamaha, said Moloi’s death was part of a disturbing trend of attacks on law enforcement.
“What do we do when it seems a war has begun against us? We have the tools to protect ourselves lawfully — and we must use them,” he said.
Tseki Station Commander, Captain Paolous Makhalemele, said Moloi’s passing was “a loss to the South African Police Service and to the rural community he served so diligently.”
Thabo Mofutsanyana District Commander, Brigadier Molefe, called him “the yeast of the organisation — a member whose work will forever speak for him.” She vowed police would not rest until his killer is caught.
Free State Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti, confirmed that the prime suspect remains at large.
“It is alleged a man driving a white Ford Fiesta with Gauteng registration, accompanied by a female, approached Moloi’s vehicle carrying four others and opened fire before fleeing,” Matoti said.
During the shooting, the woman allegedly called the gunman “Sandile.” The motive is under investigation.
One survivor, shot in the hip, said the attack left him traumatised.
“I saw Moloi shot in the head even when he was already lying on the ground,” he recalled.
Police have appealed to the public for any information that could help trace the suspect.
