Meet Officer Makutu: The hero behind 29 arrests and the Safety Officer of the Year

Traffic Officer, Boy Makutu, was named Safety and Security Officer of the Year after making 29 arrests between November 2024 and September this year and went viral during two of those instances.

The Safety and Security Directorate celebrated staff at its annual awards ceremony last Thursday, with categories including outstanding service, supervisor of the year, department officer of the year, and Directorate officer of the year which went to Makutu. 

In September, he maintained his composure when confronted by a belligerent drunk driver on the N1 outbound near Durban Road, and in July, he was captured on video, literally hanging on to a taxi in his bid to arrest the driver for drunk driving and failing to comply with a lawful instruction.

Mayoral Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, said the officer had shown his commitment in wearing his badge.

“Officer Makutu embodies the very essence of Safety and Security. He serves with dedication and humility, and while he is very soft-spoken, his service record shows that he is a force to be reckoned with. I commend him and every other member and volunteer acknowledged at our awards events in the past week,” he said.

“And, while we pause to tip our hats to those nominated, I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to the thousands of others in our Directorate who show up for their communities day after day, often at great personal cost and sacrifice,” he said.

Other departmental Officer of the Year recipients included:

• Ashwin Maxim – Disaster Risk Management Centre
• Kim Van Zyl – Fire and Rescue Services
• Rene Mostert – Public Emergency Communication Centre
• Cassidy Bock – Metro Police
• Deon Philander – Law Enforcement

Metro Police walked off with the Department of the Year honours.

The Law Enforcement Auxiliary Awards ceremony, held on December 20, acknowledged exceptional achievements in several areas. These included outstanding service, performance excellence, long service, and recognition for the officer who accumulated the highest number of hours served.

Grant Adams received this award for his significant contribution, clocking a total of 765 hours this year.

The honour of Volunteer Officer of the Year went to Gerhard Engelbrecht. His consistent dedication and commitment to the uniform, particularly his contribution to the Rural Auxiliary Unit, is evident in his impressive service record: 4,310 hours over a 70-month period, which averages to 61 hours per month.

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