Polokwane: One of South Africa’s most distinguished female police leaders, Major General Hlagodi Christine Morakaladi, concluded her remarkable 39-year SAPS career with a powerful farewell that celebrated transformation and issued an urgent call for officer mental health support.
According to South African Police Service, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Support Services in Limpopo retired at an auspicious ceremony attended by HOD for Transport and Community Safety Mr. Steven Matjena, Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, retired Provincial Commissioners, Lieutenant General Ledwaba and Lieutenant General Sengani, senior law enforcement officials, Labour Union POPCRU and SAPU representatives, CPF Board Chairperson Mr. Frans Kgasago, various stakeholders, colleagues, and family at Bolivia Lodge, Polokwane.
The Sekhukhune District Commissioner Major General Junior Lehabe-Metsi described the retiring general as “a woman of stature, a contagious leader, an HRM Guru, and someone who neve
r asked to escape but how to survive.”
Colleagues universally praised her as “a mother in the SAPS family” whose office served as “a sanctuary to support all colleagues,” where she mentored rising talent while shouldering Limpopo’s HRM challenges.
HOD for Transport and Community Safety Mr. Steven Matjena highlighted her frontline impact: “Her work in combating Gender-Based Violence and addressing Serious Crimes has left an indelible mark on public safety and justice” – legacy work that will continue resonating throughout communities.
Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe delivered a stirring keynote, citing Proverbs 4:7: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding.”
“True leadership is about discernment – knowing when to speak, when to listen, when to act, and when to serve silently,” Hadebe declared, describing Morakaladi as exemplifying leadership built on an “unshakeable foundation of integrity and steadfastness, weathering every
storm with grace and resilience.”
In her farewell address, Major General Morakaladi expressed gratitude for “the opportunity to answer my calling-serving the Limpopo community and making a meaningful difference in the lives of our members.”
Her final, crucial appeal: Strengthen the Employee Health and Wellness unit with more personnel to support officers through trauma and personal challenges – “a vital step in protecting lives and wellbeing.”
Rising through decades of service from 1986, Major General Morakaladi became one of SAPS’s highest-ranking officers, embodying the evolution of South African law enforcement while maintaining unwavering faith and commitment to justice.
Her retirement marks the end of an era – and the beginning of a new chapter built on the foundation she helped establish.