Woman in blue committed to serve, protect

There were times when she was scared in the line of duty as a woman, but Visible Policing (Vispol) Commander at the Mankweng Cluster, Serofo Lengwati has never thought she could have done better had she been a man.
As a woman with approximately 28 years’ service in the South African Police Service, Lengwati remained dedicated and worked hard to be promoted and has noticed during the years the importance of women in uniform. “Women in the service play a vital role especially in cases such as rape where victims open up more towards female officers than to men. When children are involved, female officers become handy to handle the situation and even to investigate the case,” she said.
Lengwati recalled the 2001 floods when she was stationed in Musina. “With the Limpopo River in flood we had a serious incident involving children who got stranded in the river. There I noticed the important role of women in the Police. They did an outstanding job during the rescue missions as well as comforting the women and children.”
Lengwati enjoys working with and assisting people and ensuring their safety. This is the main reason why she loves every moment in the service. Considering her position in the Police she ensures safety by conducting regular patrols and by maintaining high visibility throughout the cluster.
On a personal note Lengwati cited that she does not see anything as a challenge. “I can take on anything. I must admit I was scared when, as the only women accompanied by two other officers, having to respond to a farm attack outside Musina. When you enter a farm and you do not know the ins and outs of the farmstead and you suspect that the attackers are still inside, it gets scary – anything can happen. But never did I think I might have performed better if I was a man.”
According to her some women in the service don’t accelerate because of a lack of confidence. Lengwati is confident in her abilities to serve the community as a women and is confident that she can do a man’s job, if not better. “My motto is to trust in God and my advice to women in the service is to always commit and to know want they want in life. Push hard every time even though it is not easy. Push harder to get what you want and support Saps initiatives and objectives. Always be available for anything in the line of duty,” Lengwati said.

Story & photo: RC Myburgh
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