Douglasdale Sergeant recipient of Man of the Year award at provincial excellence ceremony

A Douglasdale police officer has been lauded for his continuous efforts in fighting various social crimes in the community.

Coordinator for the social crimes prevention unit at Douglasdale Police Station, Sergeant Nicholus Mokwena was named first runner-up in the recently concluded South African Police Service Provincial Excellence awards in the Man of the Year category. This is a week after winning the Man of the Year award in the district excellence awards ceremony.
Mokwena could not contain his delight after receiving his award. “I’m very happy, and I’m so excited. I feel like I’m the head of all the men in this division of social crime prevention,” he said.
“I feel like this field is finally being recognised. There are members of social crime prevention who have been working so hard, but their work is never recognised. Now I am the one who is carrying the baton so that they can see there are more Mokwenas out there.”

The awards are given to those who go above and beyond their required criteria of the job. Mokwena has been in the police force since 2002 and been at Douglasdale police for the last eight years and has made his presence known in the station and community. “When you look at the job description, it will look like a lot of work. But if you can go beyond that requirement, you are doing something extra. If you do something extra, it will be recognised. I know it may look like it is supernatural, but it is all about dedication, commitment and loving what you do,” said Mokwena.

He added that the level of happiness, pride, and excitement is indescribable when he follows through with a complaint to the very end that will ensure justice and safety for the victim, as well as providing ways to assist the community with projects to tackle gender-based violence.
“If we look at, for example, a victim of domestic violence. I open a case after interviewing the victim, make sure the victim gets the counselling they need, I arrest the culprit myself, you don’t know how happy that makes me,” he said.

“It is one of the things that has me soldiering on. Not all my cases and complaints will be successful, but I am always striving to get success in those cases and the community.”
The Station commander of Douglasdale Brigadier Veeshani Arikum congratulated Mokwena for his award and said it was well deserved. “He is always available to assist the community when the need arises and is someone who is available 24 hours. He is indeed a rock in the community,” she said.

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