Boy reaches his dream
An eight-year-old boy’s dreams to be a metro cop became true.
An eight-year-old boy brought the Tshwane metro police department to a virtual standstill when his dream of becoming a metro police officer for a day became true.
Not only did Given Sibanyoni become a metro police officer, he was given the ‘”Chief of Police” title for the day.
Sibanyoni suffers from kidney cancer and his dream is to become a metro police officer one day. Reach for a Dream, in conjunction with the metro police, made Sibanyoni’s dream a reality on Tuesday at the metro police headquarters.
Sibanyoni was received by metro police chief Steven Ngobeni and a member of the mayoral committee (MMC) Terrance Mashego, who shared some words of encouragement with him.
“This sickness will pass, my boy. Today you will be a metro policeman for the day and we are going to get you a scooter with the metro police markings and it will be brought to you in Mpumalanga. You will grow up to be strong and become a better person,” said Mashego.
The visit meant a lot for members of the metro police.
“Given has made us see we need to appreciate life and never say we cannot do something. Today we are here to make this young man’s dream come true of becoming a metro police officer. This boy has brought us all together and has given us food for thought,” director DZ Mbatha said.
Sibanyoni played ‘Chief of Police’ for the day and was given a blue light brigade escort to the Tshwane metro central regional office for a parade.
Dreams co-ordinator from Reach for a Dream, Pretoria branch, Mpumi Mlambo said Sibanyoni was an example that one could live a dream even at the age of eight. She thanked the metro police for making Sibanyoni’s dream come true.
Ngobeni said the metro police would in future recruit 10 pupils from schools in Pretoria to go into the field with officers to be shown the ropes.
“When the metro police have jobs available, you find that in the long queues there are people that come because they have no other option, you find those who were police officers before and you find people like Given who have a passion for the job. With people like Given who want to do the job because they love it, we will have a successful department.”
Ngobeni named Sibanyoni officer number one of the recruitment project.
He said he wished he could take Sibanyoni to school until he finished matric and then enroll him into the metro police training programme.
“Officers, we have work to do. Let us take children’s hands and develop them,” said Ngobeni.
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