Members of the police service put their life on the line every day for the safety of their communities, and that is so for Constable Moloko Kgatla, communications officer for the Fairland Police Station . Born and bred in Limpopo, Const Kgatla said that he came to Johannesburg in 2002 to enroll at Tshwane South College to study civil engineering.
“I really enjoyed construction work and building things as I would never build the same thing twice,” he said.
He explained that after obtaining a qualification in civil engineering he enrolled at the University of Johannesburg to study extraction metallurgy and that is when he felt an overwhelming need to serve his community.
“I just started feeling like I had a responsibility to my country and community and I applied several times to the South African Police Service but they took very long to respond,” Const Kgatla explained.
He added that while he was waiting for a response from SAPS he found a job in India working for a private company as an electrician for six months.
“I ended up picking up a new language and really enjoyed learning about new cultures. I had quiet an interesting time there but when the call came to serve I packed up my bags and headed back to South Africa to serve my country,” he pointed out.
One thing that Const Kgatla said worries him about his job is the high number of police killings that happen across the country but he pointed out that even though he feared for his safety at times, he did his job to the best of his ability.
“Sometimes my family don’t want me to go to work when they see the news but I reassure them that I will come back safely. I am proud to wear my police uniform,” he added.
The father of two said that he spends every spare minute with his sons who he said are his pride and joy.
“I get such little time off that when I am off duty I spend all my time with my family as they get to see so little of me when I go to work,” he explained.
Const Kgatla said that he was appointed communications officer for the Fairland Police Station in 2012 and that his door is always open to the public.
“I am a people’s person as I am an open and friendly person – we are here to serve the community and we do it wholeheartedly on a daily basis,” he concluded.
Details: Fairland Police Station: 011 478 9413.
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