With his first real pay cheque as a police officer, Callan Andrews wanted to buy himself a PlayStation and help his mom make improvements to the Gelvandale home where he grew up.
Unfortunately, these plans became nothing more than lines in his eulogy on Saturday morning during the 30-year-old constable’s funeral, where his coffin, draped with the SA flag, stood in the front of the Ebenezer International Church.
Police minister Senzo Mchunu and several high-ranking police officials joined the more than 1,000 friends, family and members of the Gqeberha community as they packed the Algoa Park church to lay Andrews to rest.
He was shot dead in Helenvale while on duty on New Year’s Eve — only three months after graduating from the police college.
“It is difficult to sit where I am sitting, between a mother and a father who have lost a child,” Mchunu said.
“You look for words to show that we are here to support them, but it is difficult to find those words.”
He said he sympathised deeply with Andrews’ father, Brett, and mother Jean Serfontein, because he had also lost his son, who was just nine years old.
Andrews and his partner were transporting complainants to the Gelvandale police station at about 5.30pm on December 31 when their vehicle broke down in Voisin Road.
Community members were helping them push-start the vehicle when Andrews was shot in the head and robbed of his service pistol. He died on the way to hospital.
Since then, three suspects, two aged 27, and one aged 17, have been arrested, and the missing firearm recovered.
Moments before Mchunu took to the stage, grieving family members shared heartfelt tributes that had the congregation crying and laughing.
Andrews’ uncle Jeremy told of the young man’s upbringing in Zimdahl Street, living in a house with his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
He matriculated from Chapman High School before completing his tertiary studies in teaching and psychology.
However, his desire to follow in his father’s footsteps led him to apply to the police college for five consecutive years. He was eventually accepted in 2024.
Andrews finally put on his blue uniform in October — not knowing he would be killed in the streets where he grew up even before his six-month probation period was complete.
Jeremy described his nephew as the “Peter Pan” of their family, as it seemed like he would never truly grow up.
He was always laughing, singing, poking fun at friends, family and himself — and talking about that PlayStation.
A recurring theme throughout the tributes was Andrews’ love of his favourite food — hot chips — and to the laughter of the crowd, Jeremy said he was left in awe more than once by how many chips his nephew could devour.
He thanked the police for the support they had shown the family, and for their efforts to bring the “heinous, callous and cowardly” alleged perpetrators to book.
“Our family is left with more questions than answers. But we trust justice will be served and we support those working around the clock to make it happen,” Jeremy said.
In her address, Eastern Cape provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene’s emotions ranged from sadness to intense anger as she recounted the moment she learnt of Andrews’ death.
She said his murder had hit close to home because her second-born child was also 30 years old, and what made her angry was that Andrews was allegedly killed by people in the community where he grew up.
“From the last intake of constables, 28 were sent to Gelvandale.
“The community asked for more police, we send them constables, and then that same community kills one of them.
“If they wanted his gun, why not just take the gun and leave him alive?
“We can replace a gun. We cannot replace Constable Callan Andrews,” Mene said, visibly angry.
Despite a court order that the names of the suspects not be made public, Mchunu shared their names with the congregation and said he had requested Mene to notify him when their trial started as he was curious about the motive for the attack.
“Do they think state firearms are just there for the taking?
“Were they jealous of Callan because he was a police member and making something of himself?
“Or was it purely their murderous instinct that took over?”
Though the police have taken a lot of flak over the condition of the official vehicle that broke down in the lead-up to the murder, Mchunu said the report from the police garage was nothing short of “baffling”.
He said the vehicle had a track record of regular services, and during its last service the starter and battery were replaced in line with recommendations from the manufacturer.
On the day of the incident, Andrews and his partner attended to 18 complaints before the fatal incident, and no problems were reported with the vehicle.
He said what was even more puzzling was that since the murder, the vehicle had been tested on several occasions and started every time without any problems.
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