Eastern Cape police have scooped top honours for the second year in a row at the annual national police awards.
Major Amos Vinqi, the commander of the Public Order Police Unit, scooped the employee of the year in the category for Visible Policing.
"The member was instrumental in calming the televised 2013 Sterkspruit service delivery protests that had escalated to extreme violence. Maj Vinqi expertly took charge of the situation and tactically deployed his platoon and five additional platoons from other towns placed under his command, and locked-down the town to prevent the destruction of property and incidents of intimidation of people not taking part in the protest," his citation read.
"Kwazakhele communications officer, Warrant Officer Thembi Gwe, won the award for Woman of the Year award.
She went beyond the call of duty by implementing a variety of community upliftment and crime awareness projects."
Five officers from the diving and K-9 unit won the National Commissioners Award for rescuing eight from the raging and flooded Thina River near Qumbu last January.
Capt Robin Steyn, WO Fred Dicks, WO Jacque Swartz, Const Songezile Katikati, Const Buyisile Makhosonke received the National Commissioner's Award
Capt Steyn, WO Dicks, WO Swartz, Const Katikati and Const Makhosonke of the Diving and K9 Units execute search-and-rescue missions in the Eastern Cape.
"On 7 January 2014, the team responded to a request for emergency services in the flooded Thina River near the Mpindweni Location in Qumbu, Eastern Cape."
"The team found eight, frightened children huddled on an island surrounded by raging floodwater. They requested aerial assistance, but found that it would only be available the following morning."
"Realising that the children would not survive the night, the team coordinated a heroic rescue effort using the pendulum method, with which community members assisted them."
"Some of the children were too small to wear life jackets and their rescuers had to keep them elevated above the water while fighting the strong current."
"Risking life and limb and working mostly in the dark, except for the lights from vehicles parked on the banks of the raging river, all the children were brought safely ashore in a gruelling, three-hour rescue mission and were treated for hypothermia."
"Working under extremely cold, wet and dangerous conditions, these police members did not spare a thought for their own safety."
Constables Mildred Lobisa and Franklin Williams received the Minister's Award and Overall group winners award.
This for rescuing a baby from a pit toilet in Ramaphosa Village in Patensie
"The two police officials acted unselfishly and hastily to save the life of a newborn baby. The members had worked the entire day when a complaint regarding the cries of a baby being heard from a pit toilet, was received only 15 minutes before their shift ended."
"They left everything and rushed to Ramaphosa Village in Patensie, Eastern Cape. They rescued the baby from the filthy pit and rushed her to hospital to obtain urgent medical attention for her."
"They stayed with the baby girl until her condition was stabilised. These partners displayed integrity, dedication and fearlessness, which are the true qualities of a police official who finds satisfaction in helping others."
"Constable Williams acted on instinct and risked his own health by jumping into a pit filled with human faeces and debris to save the life of the newborn - a selfless act that gave an innocent baby girl a second chance in life."
"Constable Lobisa instinctively cleared the baby’s airway and applied mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, essentially breathing life back into her. She also cleaned the baby, thoroughly removing worms and filth inside the folds of her sensitive skin, which had burn marks from the acid inside the toilet."
Eastern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Celiwe Binta, said the awards prove that the Eastern Cape has dedicated and professional police officials who can compete with the best in the country.
