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CSI: Soweto

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Amos Manete. Picture: Elizabeth Sejake
Amos Manete. Picture: Elizabeth Sejake

Mutilated bodies, torched and burnt corpses, rape victims, and cold-hearted murderers and serial killers. Captain Amos Manete has seen it all.

Despite constant exposure to the darker side of the communities he serves, Manete has not lost an ounce of love for the tough and dangerous job of putting criminals behind bars and protecting the innocent.

“As a crime scene investigator, I secure, examine and analyse crime scenes. My work involves strict adherence to protocol and exposure to evidence based on a violent occurrence, such as a shooting or murder. That also means working odd and irregular hours, being away from home and travelling to far-flung areas to follow up on leads,” says the chief investigator of the SA Police Service (SAPS) in Parktown, Johannesburg.

While tapping away at the keyboard on his desk to look over a case file on his computer, he talks to the photographer and me.

Manete says wherever his job takes him, he is prepared to give his all to ensure that the streets are as safe as possible.

A hard-won reputation for working graciously with people is one of the qualities that has made Manete a well-loved and respected man of the law.

As a senior investigator, he combines his detective instincts with an ability to gain the trust of his community in solving crimes. As a result, he has made a name for himself as “The People’s Cop” over the past 30 years of a solid career because of his inclusive and accommodating modus operandi.

His career as a policeman began in 1986 after he lost out on a secretarial job and joined the then SA Police.

He realised that a career in policing was his calling after he finished his training and began to show signs of “earning the trust of the communities I work in, which has served me well in my duties. It is when you have the trust of the people that you can succeed in this field.”

Though the police can often be viewed with suspicion by people in black communities, as well as by some in the media, Manete says “the responsibility is on me to prove to the community that I am not a bad policeman – that I am here to serve and protect them”.

For his efforts, Manete has represented the police on lists of South African heroes for many years.

“I started my career during the dark days when police were seen as traitors in the townships. It was hard to win the community’s trust back then, but I never gave up.”

Manete was deployed to Naledi, Soweto, in 1988 and worked in the sprawling collection of townships for most of his career.

He has seen many friends and colleagues shot before his eyes in his more than 30 years of service.

The reputation of the police service may not necessarily have improved greatly over the years, but Manete holds himself up to a high personal standard and work ethic. His dedication, he says, speaks of his love for his work, the people he serves and his trust in the Lord.

Manete has many fascinating anecdotes about the things he has seen in the line of duty. His stories run the gamut from muti murders to vigilantism, apprehending youthful suspects and convincing criminals to confess willingly.

He maintains that, in his profession, nothing beats dedication, passion and being prepared to work long and odd hours. Being a people’s person with the willingness to show respect, particularly for the community you work with directly, must inform everything you do.

And if you have an aptitude for solving problems and can get into the minds of criminals without becoming one yourself, there is a career for you in the service, he says.

When Manete started, there were no institutions that trained people to become investigators. As an aspiring and trailblazing investigator, he taught himself the tools of the trade and continually fine-tuned his training by keeping up with new ways of solving crime, most of which have eventually became an established part of the crime-fighting system.

He attends regular training interventions and refresher courses offered by the SAPS.

Being a good detective is also useful outside of being a police officer. He believes young people with the right attitude can have successful careers as investigators, both in government and private organisations

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