Douglasdale police unite to honour cherished colleague
Sergeant Phuti Malete leaves behind a husband and three young boys, as colleagues remembered her as a humble, dedicated officer whose gentle voice, kindness, and calm presence made her not just a respected member of the force, but a sister and friend to many.
Tributes poured in as colleagues, family, and friends gathered at the Indaba Hotel on April 22 to honour the life of Sergeant Phuti Malete, a dedicated Douglasdale Police Station officer who passed away after a short illness.
Malete, aged 43, died in hospital on April 15. She had served at the station for 16 years, earning the respect and affection of her fellow officers through her humility, dedication, and gentle spirit.
Read more: Douglasdale police bid farewell to fallen sergeant at Indaba Hotel memorial service
Sergeant Dinah Daphney Mputla, Douglasdale human resource management commander and acting support head, described the loss as profound for both the station and the family.
“She was like a sister to all of us. Not only to me, but to every one of us. She took her duties very seriously. You couldn’t even query her on minor things. She was always on point.”
Mputla recalled how station members supported Malete’s family after her admission to hospital. “We tried to give the family all the support we could. We did everything possible and kept her in our prayers every day, but when God calls a name, she answers, and we just have to accept.”
She said she grew fond of Malete’s soft-spoken nature, which had a powerfully calming effect.
“I was always talking to her, sometimes raising my voice, and she would just say, in that soft, soft voice: ‘Please just listen to me. Don’t shout. Listen to me, please’. With that voice, you would surrender. Even if you wanted to shout, you would just give up and say, ‘Okay, it’s fine. I understand’.”
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Lieutenant Colonel Mohlatlego Seshoka, who trained with Malete and joined Douglasdale in the same intake after college, shared emotional memories of their sister-like bond.
“We became family. All her sickness, all her troubles, all her problems, we used to share them together. It’s so painful to lose such a nice person. A young parent like her.”
She described Malete’s consistent character, even during her illness.
“Even after I left Douglasdale for greener pastures in Midland, she remained the same person, humble, respectful, with that nice voice. She used to send me to the shop to buy her food. If it wasn’t what she liked, she would gently say, ‘Ah, wena no, don’t do that’. She was sweet. Always sweet.”
Brigadier Veeshani Arikum, the station commander, echoed the same sentiments. “Her laughter always filled the room, and her smooth, comforting voice brought ease to those around her. This is a huge loss for the family in blue.”
Arikum said Malete will be remembered for her phenomenal work when handling gender-based-violence cases at the station.
Malete’s family announced, during the memorial service, that she will be buried on April 25 at Vlaakfontein. She leaves behind a husband and three boys.
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