Woman bomb disposal specialist makes strides in SAPS
AS WOMEN’S Month draws to a close, the police continue to celebrate their women in traditionally male-dominated roles.
Constable Mammokso Motaung, 37, is among the women being celebrated. She is one of 18 female bomb disposal specialists in the SAPS.
Originally from Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State, she started in 2003 as a police reservist attached to the local police station. However, Motaung did not see herself in this position forever and in 2005 applied for a permanent position as an accounting clerk at the Park Road police station in Bloemfontein. She held this post until 2011 when she took the opportunity to join the Basic Police Learning Development Programme (BPLDP) as a police trainee at the SAPS Tshwane Academy in Pretoria.
As a bomb disposal specialist, Motaung responds to incidents that are bomb related, and this includes ATM bombings, cash-in-transit heists, explosives recoveries, and incidents where suspicious parcels are reported.
She also responds and assists with any investigations regarding any gas, chemical or other explosives which may result in severe damage of property or the injury or death of people.
Colonel Athlenda Mathe from the national police commissioner’s office said: “Only members of the Explosives Unit will respond and are allowed to handle suspect devices and/or recover any form of explosives.
Bomb disposal specialists also conduct preliminary and post-blast investigations in all explosion-related incidents.”
Motaung said one needed excellent thinking and reasoning skills to make quick decisions at crime scenes. Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations were also key qualities.
“When I arrive at a scene, I command everyone to evacuate the scene because bomb scenes are extremely dangerous. I will then first approach the scene to find the device. When I’m sure of what type of device I’m dealing with, I decide which type of equipment I will use for that device. I enter the scene with the equipment and my sole focus is to find the bomb. If it’s already exploded, my responsibility is to collect the evidence. If the bomb has not detonated, my job is to dispose of it to ensure that it doesn’t explode, thereby preserving life,” Motaung said.
She urged bystanders and residents to avoid entering scenes of ATM bombings and cash-in-transit heists.
“It is possible that not all the explosives have detonated at the time of the robbery, and thus it poses a risk of detonation when community members enter a crime scene,” she said.