Limpopo officer who helped disabled boy walk is SAPS Woman of the Year
Warrant Officer Merriam Maphosa helped a boy born without limbs learn to walk. Now she's SAPS Limpopo Woman of the Year.
LIMPOPO – Warrant Officer Merriam Mankembeni Maphosa (47) has spent 19 years wearing the South African Police Service badge with one guiding principle: policing is not only about enforcing the law, but about changing lives.
A chance encounter that changed everything
In 2011, while carrying out official duties at a special school in Ga-Kgapane, Bolobedu, she met a six-year-old boy born without hands or legs. While others saw only his disability, she saw potential.
Believing he deserved greater opportunities, she facilitated his admission to Letaba Special School in 2012 and worked tirelessly to help his family secure specialised medical care.
The young boy, who could not walk when she first met him, eventually learned to walk. Today, 15 years later, he is a Grade 11 learner at Hellen Frans School in Bochum.
“I realised he was very brilliant and decided to give him a helping hand because I saw a bright future in him,” she recalls.
That became her first community project as a police officer. It would not be her last.
A career of service
Warrant Officer Maphosa joined the South African Police Service on July 9, 2007. Throughout her career, she has served at Saps Bolobedu, the Saps Tzaneen Operational Command Centre and Saps Sebayeng. Following her promotion to the rank of Warrant Officer on November 1, 2024, she is now stationed in Matlala, in the Capricorn District, as a Crime Analyst, where she analyses crime trends, identifies hotspots, and supports intelligence-led policing operations, particularly those aimed at protecting women and children.
“I joined Saps because I believe in serving with both strength and compassion,” she says. “I wanted to protect the vulnerable and show that women can lead in law enforcement.”
A mother of four, a protector of many
As a mother of four, she believes motherhood has strengthened her policing by helping her better understand the needs and struggles of families within the communities she serves.
Beyond her policing responsibilities, she serves as Secretary of the Capricorn District Women’s Network Executive Committee, coordinating initiatives and awareness campaigns aimed at combating gender-based violence and femicide through partnerships with communities and stakeholders.
Giving back, year after year
Her commitment to community service extends far beyond the badge. Between 2014 and 2018, she mobilised donations of clothing, blankets and groceries for disadvantaged families in crime hotspot villages around Bolobedu. In 2015, she established the SAPS Bolobedu Sekgapa Team, bringing together elderly women and police members in a partnership that remains active today.
During Child Protection Week in 2024, she coordinated donations of blankets and clothing for vulnerable children, while Mandela Month in 2025 saw her lead a donation drive of toiletries and cosmetics for learners at Grace Special School.
‘Strength and compassion work together’
When asked what gives her the strength to continue serving with dedication, she points to the values that define her career: integrity, honesty, empathy and an unwavering commitment to the Saps Code of Conduct.
“Our SAPS badge means trust, upholding the law with honesty, earning respect and maintaining the confidence of our communities. I believe strength and compassion work together.”
Awards and recognition
Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades, including:
- SAPS Limpopo Woman of the Year (2012 and 2025/2026)
- Capricorn District Woman of the Year (2024)
- Vispol Member of the Year Award
- Crime Registrar Category Winner Award
- Several other provincial and district excellence awards
She is currently completing a National Diploma in Policing through the University of South Africa, demonstrating her commitment to continuous professional development.
Overcoming challenges
Despite the recognition, Warrant Officer Maphosa says the journey has not always been easy.
She recalls attending traumatic crime scenes, policing volatile community protests, working long hours away from her family and overcoming the challenges of proving herself in a demanding profession.
“These challenges have made me more resilient, disciplined and compassionate.”
Away from the badge
Away from work, she values spending quality time with her family, drawing strength from prayer, exercise and moments of reflection.
“When I am on duty, I am fully on duty, and when I am home, I protect that time for my family. They are my greatest source of strength.”
Asked how she hopes to be remembered, she does not mention her awards.
“As a policewoman who served with integrity, courage and compassion. Someone who treated every person with dignity, someone who could be firm on the law and still have a heart for people.”
A legacy of hope
Nelson Mandela once said that what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived, but the difference we have made to the lives of others.
Warrant Officer Maphosa’s legacy is already reflected in a young boy who now walks into his Grade 11 classroom, in vulnerable families who found hope through her kindness, in elderly women who continue to partner with police, in orphaned children who continue to receive support from the Saps family, and in the countless communities she has served with humility, integrity and compassion.
