A dedicated crimefighter from Grassy Park SAPS said his final farewell on Thursday as he retired after 38 years of chasing skollies on the Cape Flats.
Cops thanked Vispol Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Esau, for his years of service as he hung up his lapels.
Originally from Kraaifontein, Christian, who enrolled in Saps at the age of 21, says: “I started in 1985 in Saps and went to enrol at the academy in Bishop Lavis. I was just fed up with the gangsters in Kraaifontein.”
Christian says back in the 1980s, gang fights were a lot more violent and graphic and recalls that on his first day he was sent into Lavender Hill.
He says: “I started at Steenberg Saps and on the first day I was sent to quell a gang fight. Those days the skollies used pangas and axes when they tried to kill each other. I remember how much blood there was, but luckily nobody died.”
In 2006, he was deployed to Grassy Park where he has spent many years at the frontline of gang wars.
Christian says targeted approaches on gang bosses and drug merts brought the best successes, explaining: “I remember when we caught the leader of the Yuru Katte with over R200 000 of drug money. Those operations were the best.”
He says the death of Constable Ashwin Pedro was a tragedy, remarking: “He worked under me and that was a sad day for the team. We will always miss him. I am looking forward to my retirement and don’t have any plans as yet. Ek gaan eers ’n bietjie rus, but don’t think I will miss being in the police.”