SECUNDA – Capt Bettina Zondo (59), spokesman for the Secunda Police, will be retiring at the end of the year.
Her last day on duty for the police will be 31 December – the day of her 60th birthday.
She is full of praise for the police, claiming that her life changed completely after she joined the police as an administrative clerk in 2000.
Capt Zondo worked her way up to a level 6 administrative clerk and was stationed at Kriel before she officially joined the ranks as a police officer in 2012.
“The former provincial police spokesman, Col Theo de Bruyn, was the station commander at Kriel at the time.
“He convinced me to take on the duties as communication officer and he was my mentor and role model,” she explained.
Her rank did not just fell into her lap. Capt Zondo already in her 50’s when she had to go through the gruelling training at the police academy. This involved physical training, firearms drills and academic training.
“I tell you, I was running and training like a youngster,” she chuckled. Her age and knowledge of the police did however worked to her advantage during the theory and book training at the college.
She is a good marksman and is adequately trained to hold her own.
However, this single mother of an 18-year-old is a gentle soul who prefers to ply her trade as communicator and will much rather listen and gather all the facts before getting angry.
“I find that my duties were more on the social side of the police, although was also part of the troops at a road block or during an operation.”
Capt Zondo also preferred to attend most active crime scenes relating to her precinct where she could directly speak to the media.
When asked what the highlight of her career in the police was, Capt Zondo immediately referred to her promotion in rank.
“God is so good,” she explained. “I applied for the communication position, which was the rank of warrant officer (W/O) at Bethal in 2012 and was appointed in this position, but there was also a captain’s position open in Secunda at the same time. I was moved up from warrant officer to captain within one month. That was something quite out of the ordinary,” she said.
Faith is the most important thing in Capt Zondo’s live.
She was born in Paulpietersburg and grew up in KwaMashu in KwaZulu-Natal as the third daughter of a God-fearing couple.
“My parents were devout Christians who raised their children in a Godly home, so I have always had a close relationship with the Lord. When I came to Secunda in 1984, I immediately looked for a church to make my spiritual home. I love going to church and to spend time with Jesus,” she said.
Capt Zondo’s first job was that of secretary for Mr Mohammed Bhabha, a lawyer in Evander who later became a senator after South Africa’s first democratic election.
When Mr Bhabha left for parliament, Capt Zondo ventured into the insurance world where she worked in administration for five years and also completed a tertiary diploma with communication as one of her subjects.
“I am looking forward to my retirement, but I am not sure how long I will be able to sit still,” said.
She is thankful to the police for all the opportunities, the people she met and her colleagues whom she will miss.
