CONSTABLE Shiven Latchman, a police officer working in crime prevention at the Durban North Police Station, was honoured for a selfless deed at the recent South African Police Service (SAPS) eThekwini District Commissioner’s Excellence Awards.
He was awarded the prestigious Man of the Year award at the ceremony which recognises excellence, dedication and commitment in the execution of duties within the SAPS.
The 32-year-old, who has been a police officer for the past seven years, went viral earlier this year because of his plea for help for a homeless man via his Facebook account.
Latchman was on patrol on the M4 in January this year when he met Siyabonga Phewa, a homeless man in need of help.
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After speaking to Phewa, Latchman found out that he was studying Sport Science through a bursary, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, he couldn’t further his studies and was unemployed and homeless.
“I put up a post on my personal Facebook account where I gave Siyabonga a chance to share his story with everyone. He was adamant that he wasn’t looking for donations but rather a place to stay and to find work. My hope with the post was to encourage people to reach out and help, and that’s what happened. The outpouring of support was incredible, and we were able to find him temporary accommodation, then a permanent home and, now, a job which is just fantastic.
“Receiving this award means so much to me and motivates me to always do better. I also hope it motivates other young officers at the station. I must admit, I didn’t expect to win the Man of the Year award. I knew I had been nominated, but to win it was far from my mind. I see my role as a police officer as being more than serving and protecting my community. For me, it is also about going over and above the call of duty and assisting in whichever way I could,” he said.
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Durban North SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Nonhlanhla Shozi congratulated Latchman on his award.
“The station commander and the members of the station commend Constable Latchman for his sterling work in going above and beyond the call of duty. This is a tremendous success for the station, and we are extremely proud of all of them,” she said.
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