At the start of the year the Krugersdorp Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) police unit welcomed a new Unit Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Suzan Neo Mekgwe.

This strong woman’s passion for her job and justice is infectious. The 50-year-old Mekgwe joined the police force 17 years ago and explained that she was actually employed as the station commander’s secretary in February 2004 and developed an interest in the police service. So in July 2005 she decided to join and specifically wanted to be hands-on with anything concerning children.

She trained from July to December 2005 and in June 2006 she joined the Meadowlands police and started by doing preliminary investigations on all newly registered cases. In January 2008 she was placed with the Orlando FCS and in March 2013 she moved to the then Gauteng Serial Rapist, Electronic Investigation unit (SECI). There she handled serial rapist investigations for the province.

Then on December 1, 2015 she was promoted from a constable to warrant officer.

In January 2018, Mekgwe accepted a transfer from head office and returned to Gauteng and the Orlando FCS, and then was posted at the Benoni FCS for six months to assist in the case of the then number-one serial rapist in the country. With her promotion to Captain which came in October 2019, she moved to Katlehong FCS before being appointed as the unit commander of the Krugersdorp FCS in January this year.

Mekgwe said joining the FCS was God’s calling.

I have the greatest passion for FCS and would never trade it for anything. I do understand and always have the best interest at heart of the people who are survivors of crimes that fall under the umbrella of FCS.”

She said her passion drives her, as she is eager to detect exactly what had happened, to see survivors finding justice, but also to reveal facts that led to women lying about crimes. A ideal world for Mekgwe is a safe South Africa where children would be allow to be children – women would be able to be women and boys be boys.

Going forward, however, she said she wanted to see the weakest links in her department bloom and be the best, and see a successful team being formed.

“Members being able to grow, promoted and being able to open up. My open-door policy means that we are all equal and should be treated the same. I want to be promoted one day but see most of the members grow. Not bragging, but we are already number three in the province in performance. We are aiming to be number one, and that will be possible since we are building ourselves to be the best team players. Everyone is placed in what they excel in.”

Being Women’s Month, Mekgwe said women should not limit their worth.

“Behind every woman there’s a strong force that drives her to the top. It is long overdue that we should have women in top positions. Let us give our best and strive to be the best. Women are growing and stop being at the back seat. Come forth, the light is shining ahead.”

Her advice to young women is to be able to identify their passion, do introspection to see if it makes them happy, if it brings out the best in them and then let it materialise as a calling that they can turn into a career.

I never planned to be a police officer but lack of employment drove me here. I then had to choose the department that would truly describe me. Be the change the world needs, be the pillar others would want to lean on, be the best version of the old one, and modify to secure a safer South Africa. A woman alone can move mountains.”

To the victims she said they are her greatest survivors, and they can take a bow for telling their stories.

“Be the mouthpiece of those who can’t speak. You all are the reason why other women feel their story is worth telling. Grow and brighten the corner where you are. I salute all our survivors and would appreciate other survivors being vocal to allow justice to take its course.”

When this amazing woman is not busy helping the most vulnerable she finds joy in her gratefulness for each day that God gives her.

“I am bubbly, born in July am a greatest cancerian – grateful for each daylight that God gives me. I have the blessed strong family behind me; the greatest friends in my circle that have the same interest at heart. I bow down to humbleness and that brings out the best in me.”

She listens to R&B music and gets lost in Danielle Steel books.

I live with gratefulness knowing that God meant good for me.”

Mekgwe said she was very thankful to all her previous commanders from all the places she had worked, and had driven her to this level.