Cape Town – Family, friends and police officers gathered at the Life Church in Sea Point yesterday, to honour the memory of Constable Donay Phillips who died in the line of duty.
The officer died from a gunshot wound to the head on Sunday morning after taking a 35-year-old suspect to Somerset hospital for medical attention. He was one of three victims.
Those who knew the constable, mentioned that he was a ball of light that was driven by a sense of purpose and served the community without any hesitation because he loved his job.
The late constable’s older brother, Shane Phillips, mentioned in the eulogy that his brother had a lot to live for before his passing, as he kept on reaching greater heights with the last few years of his life.
“He was very proud to be a policeman and absolutely loved his job. It was fitting that one would want to say that it was his calling. On one of his WhatsApp posts, which had a picture of the police star, his caption read ‘To some, this is just a star; to others it is a family crest’ .
‘’I think that summed up everything beautifully. These last few years were some of Donay’s happiest moments and a big part of that was his engagement to the love of his life in March this year.
”Donay will always be remembered as a gentleman who was raised in a family that instilled solid values and principles. Those values and principles paved a way through life.
”He greeted everyone with a warm and affectionate smile and he was very respectful, tackling everything with pride and dedication. Given his passion for sport, I remember how proud he was when he got the opportunity to escort the Springboks to the Cape Town Stadium. I will dearly miss him,” said Phillips
Colleague, Sergeant Bongani Mbopa mentioned how constable Phillips was always punctual, humble and respectful.
“For the little time that I got to know him, he became more than just a partner. He became my friend, because we had such an amazing understanding. For those who know the work environment, if you have anyone that you work with and have the same level of understanding, it makes the job easy for you.
”Even though he was younger than me, I respected him so much.
“Anyone that you enjoy working with makes the job easy for you. He made work so easy, because we understood each other on so many levels; because the left hand always knows what the right hand is doing.
”His taste in music matched mine, he was always open to learning Isixhosa and even though I was not his senior, when I asked for his assistance, he was always there. He wore his uniform with so much pride and you would see this in the intricate detail of his uniform. He was always punctual, and always willing to help.
”I admired the love he had for his family and his fiancée. His eyes would light up when speaking about fiancée.
“One thing he always complained to me about was how (she) would always send long voice notes and even when we would be driving, he would often say he needed to stop the vehicle and respond to the ‘head office’. I appreciate the short time I spent with him,” said Mbopa.
Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen said that an investigation has been launched to look into the matter and conversations about additional safety measures for SAPS members are taking place.
“I am deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding the death of Constable Phillips. We’ve requested an investigation in this because when we have an officer losing his or her life in the line of duty, it is a direct attack on our democracy, because SAPS members offer their lives in order to serve and protect us.
“This incident is deeply tragic. I've conveyed my condolences to the family, and during this time I hope they find comfort in knowing that Constable Phillips served and left a legacy that will continue to not only live on in the area he grew up, but also in the entire Western Cape.
“We have seen every year that we have had a number of SAPS members losing their lives in the line of duty. However, in our oversight role and in our engagement with the SAPS we’ve always been clear in terms of what is needed so that SAPS members can feel protected and we are engaging on this at the moment,” said Allen.
Weekend Argus