Set an Example by W/O Dewald de Coning

Brakpan’s Community Street Shower should fill all of us with hope for the future. This recent event afforded the downtrodden in our community with an opportunity to experience a few luxuries so many of us accept as patently obvious.

As a police officer, I frequent communities inundated by violent crime and social neglect. Communities that—one gets the feeling—has been “forgotten” by the very institutions and powers tasked with the responsibility to look out for them. Communities and people, the more affluent parts of our communities, would rather forget about. I’m reminded of times when young children run up to us as police officers, waving their school report cards at us with elation. All for just a little bit of recognition and motivation, as there is very likely little of that at home. Obviously, it is the responsibility of the police to protect every single South African citizen in equal measure, without favouritism regarding social standing. But when I don the uniform, I am especially mindful of the less privilege that I do so. Affluent communities can afford private security, but for the downtrodden we are very often the only line of defense. The example we as police officials set for those little ones with their report cards will in all likelihood determine whether we face the same social ills in a future generation or not. 

 Warrant Officer Dewald de Coning