Secunda FCS detective scoops up award

SECUNDA – Sergeant Palesa Monagane of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit based in Secunda won the award for being the best investigating officer of all the FCS units in Mpumalanga.

She received the award at a function held in Middelburg on Friday, November 25. Monagane grew up in Devon and went to police college after she matriculated.

She has been working in different units and police stations before ending up at the FCS unit in Secunda.

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Monagane worked at the police in Greylingstad, then with the Secunda Flying Squad and then in Leandra. She has been with the FCS unit since 2015 and she is passionate about her job.

“As a rape survivor, I feel it is my duty to protect others and to let justice be served,” said Monagane.

She is excited about winning such a prestigious award and said it proves to her that she achieved her goals and dreams about helping rape victims.

“I only want to see justice and I need to fight for the victims.”

Monagane is also actively involved in awareness and campaigning of gender-based violence.

She wants to inform the community how to go about reporting incidents and get help.

To finish a case successfully, from the reporting of the crime and the arrest of the suspect to a successful conviction and sentence, is part of the criteria the judges considered when deciding who would walk away with the award.

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Monagane walked the extra mile when it comes to her cases and this earned her yet another award.

She was also awarded as the Best High-Risk Member of the Year in the Gert Sibande Region during an award ceremony held at Evander early in November.

Monagane thanked her station commander, Captain Sakkie Sachse, and her colleagues for their support, as well as her family for understanding that this kind of job requires long hours.