To commemorate Women’s Month, meet the only SAPS Special Task Force female officer to complete the full training regime. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Special Task Force (STF) is its elite Tier 1 tactical unit. Potential STF members undergo a stringent 18-month training programme. The training allows them to attend to high-risk situations like hostage, terrorism and kidnapping negotiations, cash-in-transit and mining heists. Each of the above require special skills that your average South African beat cop does not have.
This includes the ability to deploy operationally by parachute into any rural and urban environment. Now, TimesLive reports that the first and only SAPS Special Task Force female officer has qualified. SAPS is keeping the 32-year old’s identity withheld for security purposes but still wishes to celebrate the trailblazing efforts of this elite officer.
SAPS SPECIAL TASK FORCE FEMALE OFFICER
Training for the STF entails a rigid 18-month programme, ensuring members are trained to a requisite level for high-risk incidents. Of the 525 members who applied, only 150 made it to pre-selection. From there, 110 entered the STF training programme. And a half later, a mere 11 officers completed the training and were welcomed into the STF ranks.
“Today we introduce the nation to the first SAPS Special Task Force female officer. She is the first in history of the organisation to successfully completed the elite Special Task Force programme without any amendments. Completing the intensive training programme is no small feat, as it is designed to test one’s physical and mental capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Amanda van Wyk last Friday (9 August 2024).
PERSONAL TRAINER AND RUGBY PLAYER
The SAPS Special Task Force female officer says she knew she was destined to serve the country when she studied to become a personal trainer while playing rugby. She’s a self-confessed fitness fanatic and adrenaline junkie but is currently working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She joined the service in 2012 and fondly refers to her fellow STF colleagues as ‘brothers’ now, thanks to their shared camaraderie during training.
“I wake up with a smile on my face, even when I get woken up in the early hours of the morning. My job excites me because the higher the risk, the higher the reward,” said the SAPS Special Task Force female officer. She also encourages all women to be their authentic selves and to never doubt their capability.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FIRST EVER STF FEMALE OFFICER?
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