Trailblazing women of SAPS: breaking barriers and uplifting communities
Women within the South African Police Service (SAPS) are breaking boundaries, making an impact, and improving livelihoods in the country.
From putting the perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) behind bars to identifying suspects with precision, and uplifting communities through soup kitchens and e-learning.
This was highlighted during the recent SAPS National Excellence Awards held at the Durban ICC.
Among them is Sergeant Nombi Bokamoso Peter, a detective attached to the Mangaung Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations (FCS) unit in the Free State, who received a Ministry Award. She also forms part of the Mangaung District’s serial rape task team.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu described Sergeant Peter as one example of the calibre of detectives who work tirelessly throughout the country to prevent and combat incidents of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) by putting perpetrators of such crimes in jail for lengthy terms.
Peter’s sterling and meticulous investigations have led to a collective five life terms and 337 years in prison for 32 rapists. Her recent conviction saw Vuyisile Jackson Mamokgwe being handed down a 32 year imprisonment by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court for raping women and children in Mangaung.
KZN’s Warrant Officer V Abdul Rahim, a Forensic Analyst, and one of South Africa’s 10 Facial Comparison experts, played a pivotal role in identifying a key instigator of the 2021 July unrest and connecting CCTV evidence to a group of robbers in KZN.
She is known for her dedication, excelling under pressure and overcoming challenges ,like masked suspects, with precision and resourcefulness. She won the Forensic Services Employee of the Year Level 5-7 Award.
Colonel QA Mapipa the FCS unit commander in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, has improved Port St Johns FCS’s detection rate from 57.53% to 67.47%, achieving 127 arrests, 22 life terms and over 1 000 years of sentences.
Her leadership at Mthatha FCS led to 341 arrests and substantial convictions. She oversaw high-profile cases, including the life imprisonment of a paedophile. Known for professionalism and teamwork, Colonel Mapipa’s leadership inspires excellence.
She walked away with the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigator of the Year Level 8-12 Award.
Lieutenant Colonel Sheila Bulelwa Mateza of Nyanga SAPS in the Western Cape excels in community service, and self-funding initiatives to address local needs.
She has handed over a house to a community that she built from her own pocket, is active in neighbourhood watches by handling their administration and uses her own vehicle for patrols. She has launched soup kitchens, e-learning centres and after-care programs, providing uniforms, mentoring and school transport.
Mateza, who runs the projects from her own salary, said she tried to get sponsorships, but was unsuccessful and she never stopped assisting her community just because no one else was contributing towards resources.
“This award is for community-based projects. I have a soup kitchen, which I'm running from my own salary. I'm a neighbourhood watcher. It's over and above what I'm supposed to be doing at work. I'm over the moon that I won in this category,” she said.
She started her projects in 2019 but intensified her efforts during the 2020 lockdown as she noticed that people were suffering more than she had imagined.
Mateza, who was a teacher before joining the SAPS, said she first ran her soup kitchen and three other projects from the boot of her car.
She received the Woman of the Year Award.
gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za