PORT ELIZABETH – Although the primary function of police officers is to prevent and combat crime as well as ensure public safety, police officers are often called upon to perform functions they never thought they would be called upon to do.
On Sunday, 09 February 2020 at about 18:50, three police officers from SAPS Bethelsdorp Crime Prevention Unit (W/O Rian Tesnar, Sgt Tebogo Makombe and Const Luwando Tsiu) kept their calm when they were suddenly stopped by two frantic women in Greenfields informal settlement. The members were informed that a woman was giving birth and needed urgent assistance. As the officers arrived at the house, the child was already born but the umbilical cord was still attached to him. W/O Rian Tesnar assisted by cutting off the cord while his colleagues rushed off to fetch a nurse nearby and to escort the ambulance to the house. By the time the ambulance arrived, the bonny little boy was already opening up his lungs with loud screams. The mother (28) and the baby were transported to the hospital for further treatment.
The officers described the delivery as surreal and one which required calmed nerves and definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Mount Road Cluster Commander, Maj Gen Thembisile Patekile commended the members for their actions. “A police officer must be prepared to embrace any situation, even one that is least expected of him/her. When the community turns to our men or women in blue for help, it is expected of them to ensure that they deliver on their task. These young officers maintained a calm composure and helped bring a beautiful child into the world. Congratulations on a job well done” added Maj Gen Patekile.