‘My career has been a joyride” says retiring Mathebula

The God Mother, as she is affectionately known, has retired after 33 years of being in the police service. On her last day at work, Tuesday, November 30, she went to Babana village in the N’wamitwa area to hand over Christmas clothes to impoverished children. Her career started in 1988 when she enrolled at a police academy in Hammanskraal outside Pretoria. Her first deployment was as a constable in Soweto. She said she was advised early in her career that if she wants to be successful, she had to study. So she enrolled in many courses which helped her to climb the ranks.

Some of her positions included being a VISPOL commander at Modjadjiskloof Police Station, the first female station commander for Musina Police Station and the first female cluster commander in Worcester in the Western Cape, amongst other positions. On Friday, November 19, her colleagues hosted a surprise farewell function for her at Steffi’s Lodge in Tzaneen. The event was attended by various stakeholders including security companies, the CPF, CSF, former Tzaneen mayor, Maripe Mangena and Hosi N’wamitwa amongst others. The event was led by well-known radio personality, DJ Brian Rikhotso of Munghana Lonene FM, who volunteered to MC the programme.

Mathebula told the Herald that she was overwhelmed by the kind gesture from her former colleagues. Her advice to female leaders is to forgive subordinates quickly as it only creates friction in the workplace, she said. “I would like to urge all leaders to treat everyone they work with, with respect, no matter how insignificant their position seems. “I believe that because I am able to work with people, my job was made easy, I never had conflict with anyone. “If I had a problem I addressed it headon and moved on,” she said. She added that her passion is resolving issues of genderbased violence (GBV). She said that even now that she is retired, she still assists people in GBV matters.

Also read: Alicia gaan 100km hardloop vir liefdadigheid

She is a mother of three, has five grandchildren and is also a traditional healer specialising in sexual matters. Her daughter, Jessica Mathebula Makhubele, described her mother as a natural born leader and a selfless person who often put the needs of her family in the background and assist the community. “As her children we accepted that she is our biological mother, but she is also a mother to the community. “I wish I had some of her leadership skills,” she said. Mathebula thanked the community of the Mopani district and all its stakeholders. Follow her on her Youtube channel, Major General Mathebula.