{"id":11271,"date":"2026-08-23T10:34:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T10:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"\/?page_id=11271"},"modified":"2026-08-23T10:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T10:34:15","slug":"women-who-lead-with-courage-making-an-impact-in-the-emergency-support-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/?page_id=11271","title":{"rendered":"Women Who Lead with Courage: Making an Impact in the Emergency Support Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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August marks Women\u2019s Month in South Africa, a time to celebrate the resilience, courage and achievements of women who continue to make a meaningful impact in society. For Ms Kgaugelo Lebese of Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II Management Area in Gauteng Region, working in the Department of Correctional Services\u2019 (DCS) Emergency Support Team (EST) is more than a career\u2014it is a calling driven by passion, discipline and commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EST serves as the tactical response unit within the correctional system, responsible for conducting security raids, high-risk offender escorts and cell extractions. Operating in an environment traditionally dominated by men, EST officials are required to demonstrate courage, discipline and the ability to make critical decisions under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Learnership to a Career in Corrections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At 32 years old, Ms Lebese, who was raised in Mamelodi, initially dreamed of becoming a traffic officer. Although her career path took a different direction, her determination to serve in the law enforcement sector remained strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She joined DCS in August 2015 through a learnership programme at Zonderwater Training Centre. Following her training, she was placed at the Local Remand Detention Centre on a six-month contract, where she was responsible for escorting and transferring remand detainees between correctional centres and facilitating their release to Community Corrections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, she secured a permanent appointment as an Access Control Security Officer. Her duties included searching vehicles, verifying permits, registering service providers and state vehicles, and maintaining official access control registers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking Barriers in the Emergency Support Team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Lebese\u2019s commitment and potential were recognised by Mr Themba Maswanganyi, then Head of Emergency Support at Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II Management Area, who identified her as a suitable candidate to join the EST in February 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She subsequently underwent specialised training to prepare her for the demanding responsibilities of the unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat inspired me to join the EST was the perception that these duties could only be performed by male officials because women were considered incapable of dealing with high-risk and high-profile offenders,\u201d said Ms Lebese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determined to challenge those stereotypes, she embraced the opportunity and has since established herself as a capable and respected member of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Lebese also acknowledges the influence of Advocate Patricia Masinga, Acting Deputy Director: Regional Head of Security, who has played a significant role in her personal and professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdvocate Masinga has been my role model, adviser and mentor. She has guided and supported me throughout my journey, and we celebrate my achievements together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investing in Professional Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her career, Ms Lebese has remained committed to continuous learning and professional development. Her qualifications and training include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • N6 Certificate in Management Assistant \u2013 Tshwane North College<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • National Diploma in Management Assistant \u2013 City of Tshwane Municipality (In-Service Training)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • NQF Level 4 in Corrections Science \u2013 Kroonstad Training College (2016)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Emergency Support Team Training \u2013 Zonderwater Training Centre (2018)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Train-the-Trainer: Security (Self-Defence) \u2013 Kroonstad Training College (2021)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Emerging Management Development Programme \u2013 University of the Free State (2022\u20132023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Certificate in Ethics in the Public Service \u2013 National School of Government<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Ms Lebese\u2019s journey demonstrates that determination, courage and dedication can create opportunities beyond one\u2019s original aspirations. Through her commitment to excellence and continuous self-improvement, she continues to make a valuable contribution to the safety and security of the correctional system while inspiring other women to pursue leadership roles in challenging environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As South Africa celebrates Women\u2019s Month, her story stands as a powerful reminder that women continue to break barriers, redefine possibilities and lead with courage in every sphere of society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    August marks Women\u2019s Month in South Africa, a time to celebrate the resilience, courage and achievements of women who continue to make a meaningful impact in society. For Ms Kgaugelo Lebese of Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II Management Area in Gauteng Region,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2851,"featured_media":11272,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11271"}],"collection":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2851"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11274,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11271\/revisions\/11274"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}