TRIBUTES FOR TOP COP LINCOLN

TRIBUTES flooded in retired top cop Major-General André Lincoln after his death on Friday at the age of 63. 

Lincoln was a veteran crime fighter, former head of the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit and in the 1990s was part of President Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard.

Lincoln spent nearly four decades in the South African Police Service (SAPS), where he led several high-profile crime-fighting initiatives, most notably in communities affected by gang violence across the Cape Flats.

As head of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU), he spearheaded efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks, working closely with residents and community leaders to restore trust in law enforcement.

His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from government officials, civil society organisations, and former intelligence operatives.

Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais described Lincoln as a dedicated public servant whose contribution to policing would leave a lasting legacy.

Marais said: “Major-General Lincoln’s contribution to improving safety in the Western Cape will continue to form part of the legacy he leaves behind. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.

Bradley Steyn, a former intelligence operative and author of Undercover with Mandela’s Spies, credited Lincoln with saving lives both during the Struggle and in post-apartheid South Africa.

Steyn said: “I knew André Lincoln first as my enemy, then as my mentor, handler, and eventually, my friend.

“He embodied sacrifice, strength, and service.”

The #GangsterismMustFall movement has called for a Special Provincial Official Funeral – Category 1, saying Lincoln’s lifelong commitment to public safety deserves formal recognition.

Lincoln’s wife, Shireen, told eNCA that he died peacefully at home. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

In a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, the day after his death, she wrote: “15 beautiful loving years. I accepted that he could never really be only ours, because Andre Lincoln was to be shared with the communities he served. A true servant, true to his calling. I was not ready to say goodbye my love. What an extraordinary journey with a most extraordinary man.”