CAPE TOWN – The City of Cape Town honoured the bravery and sacrifice of staff members who lost their lives in the line of duty during its annual Remembrance Day Service at the Civic Centre on Saturday 4 July.

The annual ceremony is held alongside the memorial wall, unveiled in 2017, which commemorates enforcement and emergency services personnel who died while serving their communities.

This year, the names of four additional staff members were added to the wall, bringing the total number of names on the wall to 51, dating back to 1907.

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Lives of service

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the annual commemoration serves as a reminder of the extraordinary commitment shown by those who dedicate their lives to protecting others.

“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,” said Hill-Lewis.

He said whether the officers served in Metro Police, Law Enforcement, Traffic Services, the Fire & Rescue Service or Disaster Risk Management, they all shared a common purpose.

“These men and women accepted a simple but profound responsibility: to protect others, even when doing so placed them in harm’s way.”

New heroes added

The City honoured four staff members whose names have now been permanently added to the memorial wall.

They are Law Enforcement officer Mogamat Shakeel Abrahams, who died in a motor vehicle accident on 17 August 2025; Metro Police Neighbourhood Safety Officer Tyler Lamb, who died after falling from a roof during a struggle with a suspect in Kensington on 7 November 2025; firefighter Mario Aisley, who suffered a fatal heart attack while on duty on 13 May 2026; and LEAP officer Lyle Thomas, who was off duty when he stopped to assist at an accident scene before being struck by an alleged drunk driver.

The memorial wall now bears the names of 51 City staff members who have died in the line of duty over more than a century, recognising their service and ensuring their sacrifices are not forgotten.

The ceremony also acknowledged staff members who died while off duty, including Yonke Pakade, Luyolo Mene, Nopinki April, Gavin du Preez and Francois Slabbert.

Call to support one another

JP Smith, Mayoral Committee member for Safety and Security, thanked City staff for their dedication and encouraged colleagues to continue supporting one another.

“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,” Smith said.

He urged staff to continue looking out for one another, saying that by guiding, encouraging and helping each other, “together, we are stronger as a directorate”.

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