WATCH | 'He lived for his job' - wife of slain detective Charl Kinnear speaks

• The wife of murdered Cape Town detective Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear says her husband lived for his job.
• Nicolette Kinnear said the family had received "a lot of support" from chaplains, counsellors and other social services.
• She said his work was his passion and that he lived for working for the community, and for the police.

The wife of murdered Cape Town detective Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear says her husband lived for his job since taking his oath 31 years ago.

Nicolette Kinnear and the couple's sons, Carlisle and Casleigh, spoke to the media outside the family's house following a visit from Police Minister Bheki Cele on Saturday. 

She delivered a call to police to stand firm in the face of crime - and not be deterred by her husband's murder.

Speaking to News24, she said: "My husband had 31 years' service, and he lived for his job ... for the oath he took 31 years ago.

Police Minister Bheki Cele with slain top cop Charl Kinnear's family, son Carlisle (in grey), wife Nicolette, and son Casleigh (in maroon).

News24 Murray Williams

"He pursued it until the bitter end ...

"His work was his passion, and he lived for working for the community, and for SAPS."

Asked whether the police had failed Kinnear, she said: "As the minister has acknowledged, there's a lot of things that should have been done differently. I have received the minister's word that he's going to investigate ... he has promised to come back, in a very short space of time, to give us feedback. Because I don't think what my sons and I need now are lies."

Asked about their safety, since the assassination, Nicolette said: "Look, we were always worried ... In the past, they might have wanted to get to us to get to him.

"The fact that my husband is no longer with us, now that he's gone .... I think the boys and I should be fine."

Asked if the family had a message to other police members, in their ongoing fight against crime, she said: "It's not easy. I appeal to the guys: If you took your oath, be proud of your oath, stand for your oath, remember your oath.

"I tell my kids and their dad also told them: 'If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.'"

To the media, she said: "A lot of you have done a lot of reporting on my husband, and you knew [what] he stood for. So that's my appeal to all the guys out there: You may be standing alone, but stand for what you believe in."

She said the family had received "a lot of support" from chaplains, counsellors and other social services.

Suspected assassination

The killing is suspected to have been an assassination, although this has not been confirmed by police. They would also not speculate about the possible motive for the murder.

Residents in Bishop Lavis told News24 that shots were heard at around 15:00.

In a statement, national police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole said: "We are all saddened by this tragic untimely loss of Colonel Kinnear and his murder is a huge loss to South Africa and its people."

Sitole tasked the provincial commissioner of the Western Cape, Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata, with immediately activating the 72-Hour Activation Plan.

Kinnear was attached to the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit as a section commander and was involved in investigations into several high-profile cases, which resulted in multiple arrests.