Fallen metro officer touched many lives
FALLEN metro police officer Josphat Dingaan Neludani was a man of many talents, who touched the lives of those he encountered.
He was not only a metro police officer, but a pastor and the founder of the Gauteng Gospel Music Awards, which have been going since 2015.
Neludani, 44, was tragically shot dead in Hillbrow last week.
Khoni Lamula, a singer who was inspired by him, said she last spoke to Neludani two days before he was killed and had been shocked to hear the news of his death.
“I was singing at an event at the State Theatre in 2016 and, after he heard me sing, he told me to enter the 2017 awards. I could not believe it when I won the award for best worship song. Two days before he died, he called to remind me that I should enter this year’s awards,” said Lamula. She said he was an angel on Earth. Superintendent Os Radebe echoed her sentiments. “He was sweet, humble and always willing to work. He was a man of God and always led us in prayer.”
He recalled September 13, the day Neludani was gunned down.
“Before knocking off, he came to my office (to say goodbye). Forty minutes later we received a call informing us what had happened and we rushed to Hillbrow,” he said.
Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba said: “It is a pity that we are living among people who have lost touch with humanity. We are clearly failing as a society.”
Johannesburg metro police department chief of police David Tembe said it was clear that life today had no value and that it was painful for him to be mourning someone as young as Neludani.
“They just wanted his gun and ended up taking his life. What have we done?” he exclaimed.
Metro police chief Wayne Minnaar said there were suspicions that the officer’s death may have been a hit.
“He was a pastor and he was on his way to fetch church money in Hillbrow. We have since arrested one suspect and we’re still trying to locate the other one. The deceased’s firearm is still missing,” said Minnaar
It was also the memorial service of another officer, Joseph Madia, who died of natural causes. Both men will be buried in Limpopo this weekend.