Policeman shares his passion for his dangerous career

“EVERY DAY, when I leave the house for duty, I prepare my family for the possibility that I might not come home.” This is the reality for Gree, a crime prevention officer (CPO) at the Greenwood Park SAPS.

For the past 27 years, Ncube, a husband, father and grandfather, has risked his life for the safety of the public. Last week the Northglen News caught up with the 50-year-old crime-fighter to shed some light on the dangerous world of a South African policeman.

As a CPO, Ncube and his task force are often sent into the firing-line, where they chase down burglars, rapists and murderers.

“We rely on the intelligence for our crime informants. They provide us with ‘hot-spots’ and suspects. Primarily, our tasks involve patrols or raids where we search for suspects, drugs or weapons,” he said.

Ncube said he had lost count of how many times he had been involved in a shoot-out or car chase with criminals, but one incident, where a fellow policeman was shot and killed, has always stuck with him.

“We were on a raid in KwaMashu and received information regarding two suspects with AK-47s. We called for backup and responded to the property where the suspects were reportedly hiding. The officer who had died, he had walked into the main house where an old lady told him that the suspects were hiding in the outhouse. When he stepped into the outhouse, the suspects opened fire and he was instantly killed,” said Ncube.

In his almost three decades of service, Ncube has only been shot once. According to the officer, he and a colleague responded to a community complaint regarding illegal power connections in Kenville.

“When we arrived at the scene, the suspects were still up in the pole, making the connections. When they spotted us, they jumped down and began fleeing towards the shacks. We chased after them and they began to shoot at us. One of the bullets struck me on the hand. I was lucky that day,” he said.

When asked why he continues to risk his life, Ncube said, “Over the years I have become very passionate about my job. When we are out patrolling at 2am in the morning when all the homes’ lights are out it makes me proud and happy to know that I am making a difference. All those people can sleep because we are out there to chase criminals away from the community,” he said.

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