A group of dedicated police officers is taking duty to the next level because they will be traveling to Cape Town on bicycles between 28 February and 11 March, and once they arrive they will take part in the Cape Argus Cycle tour.
Their purpose? To create awareness about child rape. The Xtreme for Kids Cycle Tour is part of the Matla A Bana anti-child rape initiative.
Photo: Bianca Pindral.
The team consists of police officers from all over the West and East Rand who aim to ride 180km per day until they complete the 2 000km route from the San Pedro Spur in Randfontein to Cape Town. They will have a single day’s rest and then participate in the well-known Cape Argus Cycle tour – the event that was cancelled last year due to gale-force winds.
Captain Frans Els, who is responsible for crime analysis at the Westonaria Police Station will be representing the area with vigour.
Krugersdorp Police Station will be represented by Lieutenant Colonel Mike Henning and Captain Paula Terblanche.
Henning is well known, both for his fight against cancer, which he beat twice, and his kilt he wears to most of his races.
“My doctors told me to never stop training because it would help with the psychical and mental strain of the cancer and it truly did carry me through some tough times,” said Henning. “Even after the cancer was gone, I still used sport as a way to cope with police work and the emotional trauma of the things we see while on duty.”
Terblanche is known for her dedication to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigation Unit. She is the Olivia Benson (a character portrayed by Mariska Hargitay in the TV series Law and Order Special Victims’ Unit) of the West Rand.
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