Police for 29 years

It wasn’t money that pulled her to the service as she earned a mere R400 per month in 1984 when she enrolled at the Police Training School in Pretoria where she did a six-month course.

In July of that year, after completing her training and becoming a policewoman, she joined the Springs police and got a R200 increase so that she earned R600 per month.

Capt Terblanche worked in Springs for four years, having a tough time breaking into the male-dominated field.

“The policemen undermined me and told me to be a housewife and take care of my children and husband, but that did not stop me from being who I wanted to be,” Terblanche says, adding that she is not only a policewoman, but also a wife, mother, sister and daughter.

After her four years in Springs, she moved to the district office, working in the finance department.

She stayed there for six years before joining the riot squad, where she worked for 13 years.

In 2006 Capt Terblanche moved to Tsakane Police Station where she works as a police administration officer.

She says, despite the challenges she faced as a white woman working in Tsakane, she has learned a lot about township life and the different cultures of the residents of Tsakane.

One of the most challenging things a female police officer faces, says Capt Terblanche, is working in the field far away from proper facilities and toilets.

“Unlike the men, we could not just free ourselves when we needed to but had to wait until we got back to the office,” says Capt Terblanche with a naughty giggle.

Despite this, she misses the action of working in the field, chasing after criminals and putting them behind bars.

After 29 years in the police service, she can say with conviction that women still have a tough time rising through the ranks.

“It is only a minority of policewomen who occupy higher positions in the police department,” she says, adding that there is still a perception among some policemen that women do not have the strength or leadership qualities needed in an officer.

But, she says, girls and women who want to join the police should not be discouraged as great strides are being made in promoting women within the police.

She also encourages girls who want to protect their communities to join the police.

“If women like me, who still have a passion for the job after 29 years, can keep at it despite the challenges women face, I believe that a new generation can make it even further than I did,” says Capt Terblanche.

Giving encouragement to women during Women’s Month, Capt Terblanche appeals to women not to turn a blind eye towards abuse, but to report it to the police so that they can get help.