SEDIBENG – From her youthful days, fate located young Masemola ‘Samie’ Matine, who’s now a big household name in the Vereeniging police precinct.
Despite her childhood dream of becoming a chartered accountant, the decorated police sergeant collided with her first love when she went to join the force.
The now Domestic Violence Coordinator is not only helping many gender-based violence victims get justice, she is also scooping awards in her district.
Matine was showered with a prestigious award as the Women of the Year during the Sedibeng District Excellence Awards gala held at Balmoral Gardens, De Deur on September 26.
Ster South sat down during an exclusive interview with the proud and dedicated winner, who shared details on why she joined the force and her impact in the unit.
Speaking to the paper, Matine shared a detailed timeline of her first days as a constable up to her recent rank.
“In 2012, my journey as a police officer started when I joined the Vereeniging precinct as a constable, until 2021. I did different duties such as working at the Client Service Centre and doing operational duties,” she said.
Matine’s journey took a different direction when she joined the Victim-Friendly Room.
“When my dream of being a Chartered Accountant didn’t happen, I studied Hospitality and now boast an international Diploma. Due to unemployment, I joined SAPS and found my love.”
“The passion and the love for helping people have made me enjoy my job. Having done this job for a very long time, now I feel like I’m home every time I set foot in these premises [pointing to her warm children’s room],” she said.
Explaining what she does differently from other officers, Matine said she becomes friends with her victims to relate to their grief.
“I don’t have friends outside work, but befriending my clients helps me understand what they are going through. Which also makes my job easy on how to best help them,” she said.
Touching on her award, Matine said, “The award means a lot to me. It shows that the love, dedication, and hard work I apply daily are paying off. This motivates me to do more in helping victims and bringing about justice.”
