The traffic officer that was gunned down whilst on duty on the R75 yesterday, September 21, has been identified.
The 42-year-old deceased is Sonica Esmeralda Smith, a mother of three.
As previously reported, Smith was killed whilst sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, filling out documents, while one colleague was writing a summons and the other was standing on the road.
Four men allegedly approached the official on the road and disarmed him. They then shot Smith in the chest when it seemed like she was going to react, took her firearm and fled on foot.
The Eastern Cape Department of Transport said in a media statement that Smith served as a traffic official for 15 years after she was appointed as provincial inspector at Struandale on June 1, 2007.
She is survived by her children, the youngest being seven years old, a ten-year-old and a daughter aged 21 years.
Sarah Baartman District manager, Bukiwe Ncipa-Wali, said that Smith was one of the most dedicated, committed and hard-working traffic officers.
“She had a bubbly personality and was always willing to assist fellow colleagues,” Ncipa-Wali said.
“As one of the senior officers, she was regarded as a mentor by some of her colleagues. She was an organised person and a good administrator as well.”
