Bayview SAPS welcomes first female station commander

The leadership of Bayview SAPS has long been a subject of concern, with crime rates fluctuating – from violent drive-by shootings to brazen petty theft right outside the station doors. However, a significant change is on the horizon.

For the first time in its history, Bayview SAPS will be led by a female station commander, Lt Col Shenlatha Raghoonundan. Her remarkable journey is marked by consistency, transformation, and passion, promising a brighter future for the community. In 1993, Lt Col Raghoonundan was a fresh-faced 18-year-old, employed as an admin clerk at Bayview SAPS, where she first realised her vision of her future.

“Whenever my work was done, I would find myself drawn to the Community Service Centre. It was there that I realised my true calling. I had to wait five years before finally being accepted into the force and in June 1998, I went to the Pretoria College to begin basic training,” she said.

Life would, however, have a tragic surprise for Lt Col Raghoonundan, as just a week after she began her training, her father unfortunately passed on. 

“I was devastated and decided to forgo my dream and return home. However, when I told my mother that I had decided to come back, she stopped me. My mother then told me that when I had left for college the previous week, she was upset and emotional, but my dad had told her not to cry as someday, I was going to make them proud. Upon hearing these words, it inspired me and I returned to college to complete my training. I could not let my late dad down,” she recalled.

After her training, the former Montford resident returned to Bayview SAPS as a fully-fledged constable, and climbed up the ranks to warrant officer, before her move to Malvern SAPS in 2009. 

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“This is the first-time that Bayview has a female station commander, so we will be doing things a little differently. In the past 31 years, I have grown and learnt a lot. My journey has been a phenomenal one. I have had the honour of working at the Bayview, Malvern, Chatsworth, Bellair, and Lamontville police stations. I have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge in those many years. The most enjoyable experience thus far has been my time as detective commander at Lamontville SAPS. I loved working there -the diversity, the range of things I learnt, and the crime scenes. You had to go to every crime scene and we solved crimes together. This is an aspect which I plan on implementing at Bayview SAPS. There have been no challenges in my career as when you love what you do and are passionate about it, it is not a job, it is a calling. When you trust God’s work, he ensures that all of the challenges become adversities and you conquer them with His guidance. I have always upheld the SAPS code of conduct and have conducted myself with ethics and integrity. These qualities have gained me the support and respect of my colleagues. I plan to inspire women by showing them that there is nothing that we cannot do. You just have to believe in yourself,” explained Lt Col Raghoonundan.

She added that one of the things that makes her appointment special is the fact that she worked in a variety of positions before, with admin, VISPOL, and detective commander, being a few to name.

This ultimately means that along with her extensive knowledge of the Bayview policing precinct, Lt Col Raghoonundan can perceive and plan with different positions in mind.

“A lot has changed in the community. My priority is to restore the community’s faith in the police. My door is always open and I want the people to consider me as a mother, sister, and daughter. I want residents to be able to turn to me for advice – they can trust me. I want to uplift officers and make sure that they are assisted and given the guidance that they need to perform at an optimal level. I come with 31 years of experience, I have the backing of upper management as well as a very powerful and efficient CPF. Together, we will be able to tackle all of the pressing issues head-on. I am not going to be office-bound. I want to go out there and be seen by the residents. I am going to interact with them on a personal level. They will also see my presence at roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints, and crime scenes. As such, this will certainly build a stronger relationship for the future. Police safety is my number one priority when it comes to my officers but they are well equipped with safety gear and are prepared to take on criminals,” she continued.

With a vision of a unified community, the 50-year-old shared her hopes for the future.

“I will have a very positive, active, professional team who are dedicated to the people. Bayview police must be seen as a place where the people come first. Criminals will have no place in society. Everybody will be able to live in peace and have no fear of crime. I am here, I am ready to take on the leadership role. I want to take the community by the hand and work together to make this dream possible,” she shared.

First and foremost a wife and mother, family means everything to Lt Col Raghoonundan. 

“I have been married since the age of 19, and I have one daughter, who is an attorney. When I learnt that I got my promotion, I flew to Johannesburg to visit my mum. I wanted her to see me in my full uniform, with the ranks and cap. Family means a lot to me and when she saw me, she cried. For me, the blessing of your family is paramount,” she concluded.