Constable is the city’s very own action hero

The city has its own real-life “Jackie Chan” action hero. Not only is he a martial arts expert, he is also one of the men in blue and a detective at our local police station. Const Conwell Mkhonto recently won gold and silver medals at the National Police MartialArts Championship.

Mkhonto told media that he was 14 years old, growing up in Bushbuckridge, when he started trying to teach himself karate. But as the saying goes, when the student is ready, the master appears. That’s when he got into contact with his Sensei Job Magagula.

From then Mkhonto never looked back as he trained in various types of martial arts. The softly spoken policeman said he had always wanted to be part of the police force and found his martial-arts background gave him an advantage with discipline, inner peace and better defence skills.

According to him, receiving medals and entering tournaments had been the highlights of his martial-arts career. This father of two sons also manages a strenuous job and trains at a extremely disciplined level.

“I wake up at 03:00 every day and train until 05:00 and twice a week I go to the sport hall at the army base for lessons.”

He said the benefit for young men and women, especially in their teens, was that it kept them off the streets. “It trains you not to fight with your siblings and to respect everyone, to fight is your last option.”

His plans for the future included becoming a master in martial arts and a general in the police force one day.

“I also want to join my sensei one day in movies as he will be going to the Philippines soon to star in one.”

Col Gerrie Agenbag said the police were proud to have someone of Mkhonto’s calibre on their team.