Captain Eddie retires after nearly 4 decades
Salute to a job well done, Captain Eddie. You have truly reshaped the heart of communication at Witbank SAPS.
After a career spanning nearly four decades, Captain Eddie Hall is officially stepping into retirement.
The news has sparked emotion across the community – particularly at the WITBANK NEWS, where the editorial team has worked alongside the ‘tall man with the well-known smile’ for over 26 years.
Eddie plans to spend his ‘free time’ with his wife, Anette, who is also retiring at the end of March.
From Hillbrow to communication
While many are drawn to the police through career expos, Eddie’s introduction was far from that.
His journey began on the streets of Hillbrow when his brother, Brigadier Danie Hall, took him along on a police intervention during the festive season.
Eddie, who wanted to become a teacher at first, had a change of mind there and then and joined the SAPS in 1987.
From those early days, his career evolved through visible policing in Ermelo, the Oshoek Border Post, and Crime Intelligence. However, it was his 31-year tenure in Communication Services where he truly found his calling, becoming the trusted voice of the Witbank Police Station and spearheading the Adopt-a-Cop project.
There are moments that stay with you forever
A life in the blue uniform comes with heavy burdens. Eddie reflected on three tragedies that will forever stay with him: The 2010 helicopter crash that claimed seven police members, a fatal boat capsizing, and a taxi accident on the N4, where divers recovered 11 victims from the Olifants River.
Yet, the job also offered moments of pure absurdity.
Eddie laughed as he recalled a recent road rage incident where a man drove directly to the police station with a woman’s hand trapped in his car window.
“She had tried to punch him at a red light, and he wasn’t letting go until he reached the authorities,” Eddie chuckled.
“She had to run alongside the car just to keep up!”
A partnership built on trust
WITBANK NEWS editor Zita Goldswain, who has shared a ‘roller-coaster ride’ of 26 years with the captain, shared fond memories of their time together.
Olifants River has become a “No-Go Area” following a series of armed robberies
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Read more here: https://t.co/tT0loFbhSo#WitbankNews #emalahleni #Olifantsriver #armedrobbery #hijacking pic.twitter.com/K17LWk1oMv
She recalled a morning on the notorious N12 highway, shrouded in a mist so thick they couldn’t see the bonnet of their own vehicle.
“I was hanging out the window trying to listen for the sound of oncoming trucks,” Zita remembered.
“I told Eddie I was sure we were going to crash, but he just smiled and said, ‘Colleague, remember one thing: God is holding the steering wheel and His angel armies are surrounding us.’”
Zita also hinted at lighter times spent working through the night, mentioning a mysterious inside joke, ‘Vis-Casey’, that brought a mischievous smile to her face.
A legacy of 26 years
“It was an honour to work alongside a man who has made such a massive impact on this community,” Zita concluded.
“Am I going to miss him? Absolutely. We were truly spoilt to have Eddie leading communications at the Witbank SAPS. Colleague, I wish you well. It has been an amazing 26 years.”
As the captain prepares to tick off items from his long-awaited bucket list, he leaves behind a station and a community that will always refer to him as Captain Eddie.
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