Dedicated policeman retires
Brakpan SAPS bid farewell to Lieutenant Colonel Dana van der Walt.
After 41 years and 10 months of service in the SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Dana van der Walt will be hanging up his badge at the end of the month.
The Brakpan resident, who has spent the majority of his career at the local police station serving the Brakpan community, is retiring. He will celebrate his 60th birthday on his official last day of work on October 31.
Van der Walt joined the SAPS in 1981 at the age of 18 and was first stationed in Springs, where he lived at the time.
He told the Brakpan Herald he was recruited about a month after matriculating from Hoërskool Hugenote by a Major from the Brakpan police station.
“I was at Springs SAPS for a few months and then went to police college. After that I came to Brakpan,” he said.
In 1988, he was transferred to Tsakani and returned to Brakpan in 1995. He departed for Tsakani again in 2010 and then to Reiger Park in 2013.
After three years, he found himself in Tsakani once more and then finally back home to Brakpan to the Visible Policing Unit (Vispol).
From 2003 to 2010, Van der Walt headed the former Brakpan Crime Prevention Unit, a group of eight top cops notable for their numerous successes.
A stand-out moment during his career as a law enforcer stems from his success during this period.
“There were a couple of shops in Dalview robbed at the same time. The robbers also hijacked a car and we chased them on the N17 to the toll gates in Germiston, where we got them,” he said.
“A few of them were sentenced to 25 years or more in jail.
“The sentencing, the result, that is the rewarding part of the job. That’s what it’s all about.”
This success earned the team a commendation from the national SAPS. Another personal celebrated event for Van der Walt was his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, a commissioned officer, in 1993.
This was followed by a promotion to Captain, a rank he held for 22 years. In 2017 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Questioned about what he will miss most about the job, Van der Walt doesn’t hesitate with his answer.
“I will miss a lot of friends,” he said.
He also mentioned how he has seen the relationship between the Brakpan SAPS and the community improve and hopes it will continue.
Van der Walt plans to spend the next two months at home, enjoying some time to himself, but will next year consider different options to keep himself busy.
He is also looking forward to spending more time with his family, especially his two grandchildren.
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