Five police officers in the Western Cape have been awarded the silver cross for bravery at a ceremony in Cape Town.

The award was presented to members who risked their lives during the 2021 Swellendam floods.

Sergeant Samuel Piet and Warrant officer Gert Voigt were among the officers who received awards.

“I think I feel a sense of gratitude. It’s always nice to get acknowledged by senior management for your deeds and your work that you’ve done. So, I feel good about it, although when you do these type of things, I don’t think you should do it to get medals. I think this will just be added afterwards. I think the more rewarding part is the lives that are saved and people that get to go to school and live a happy life afterwards. I think that’s what it is, a sense of gratitude.”

“A silver cross, it means a lot to me. I don’t see myself or the colleagues as heroes. We were instruments in the hands of the Lord.”

#sapsWC Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen (Adv.) TE Patekile officiated a #MedalParade this morning in Belhar where members who have served SAPS for 20, 30 and 40 years respectively were awarded medals for their long and faithful service. Five SAPS members attached to… pic.twitter.com/uaKZWpa4ma

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) December 4, 2024

Western Cape SAPS members honoured for bravery