Retired SAPS officials treated to Christmas lunch

MALALANE – Last week SAPS pensioners enjoyed their Christmas lunch. The function was held at The Sugar Train Restaurant at Rockvale Ridge Lodge outside town.

Brig Joseph Shabangu established this initiative with the aim of keeping retired police officials together. They have 25 active members.

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The seniors were invited a while ago to the office of the provincial commissioner, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, and he had a long discussion with them to find out what challenges they face during retirement.

Col Sam Mabunda, chairman, opened the activities by welcoming everybody and also asked that in the winter of their lives they must look at their lifestyle, the food they eat and the exercise they do. He requested all members to understand that going on pension is a new beginning in their lives.

“Let us enjoy our time left and understand the word travel. Go and visit new places. Let us travel to release stress, anxiety and loneliness. Mingle with other people and attend church. Remember that during our working days we dedicated our lives to save the community. Now is the time to enjoy life with our families,” Mabunda said.

Col Gicks Moyane read a verse from Genesis 3 and 4 and said a prayer. Moyane trained as a reverend while
in the SAPS and since he has retired is also a motivational speaker. His message to the attendees was about
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence. Moyane told his ex-colleagues that even though everybody is concentrating mainly on woman and children, men are also subject to abuse. Police members and most men were brought up with the saying “tigers don’t cry”.

“This is the biggest misconception leading to some of the abuse from men, because they do not know how to handle and resolve the stress and anger within them.”

He used an example of one of his colleagues who had a little boy with him in the office years ago. He had to keep him busy, so he gave him some mathematics sums to do. It kept the child busy for just a little while. He then gave him some sentences to complete which he also did in no time at all.

At the end of his patience he saw a map in a magazine. He tore it out and cut it small pieces and gave it to the boy the get the map stuck together again. The boy turned the map around and saw that the back had a picture of a man. Within half an hour he had the picture stuck together. The message in this is “get the men right and we will get society right”.

The seniors were treated to a three-course meal on beautiful decorated tables.

The message by Brig Joseph Shabangu, Capt Ben Mkhonto and Col Sam Mabunda at the end of the function was for all the members to have a blessed festive season with their families and to be safe.