Police get cooking on Heritage Day
ALTHOUGH the weather has recently been unpredictable, the sun played its part last Friday, and shone on the police officers of the SAPS local cluster when they met at the krantz in Port Alfred to celebrate Heritage Day.
First of all, it was clear to anyone passing the krantz that the people there were having a great time.
From impromptu hand-to-hand tug ‘o war competitions (where, mostly, the female officers held sway), to choral singing, praising God, the police force and the people of South Africa.
The festivities also included a potjiekos competition, where the various departments in the cluster organised a potjie of their choosing and proceeded to cook to the best of the ability to win the prize (a certificate).
There was also a prize of a bottle of sparkling wine to congratulate the team with the best spirit. Talk of the Town reporter, Rob Knowles was asked to judge the potjies along with CPF members Butisi Booi and George Galbraith.
“It was a difficult job to judge the potjies,” Booi said. “They were all so tasty.”
Galbraith was equally impressed as he walked around the braai stands at the krantz. “This is fantastic, and look, they are making their potjies in layers, just the way you’re supposed to,” he said.
Knowles said that, when he had finished eating he wouldn’t need any more food for a week.
All the time the judges were tasing the food, song and dance would break out without notice, and all teams would join in.
Eventually it was the team from Crime Intelligence that won the prize for the best potjie, although each one had its own unique flavours and executed well.
As for the best spirit on the day, that was even more difficult to judge, and it was finally down to a tie between two teams, with Nemato station taking it after a tense draw of the shortest stick.
“We must do this every year,” Port Alfred station commander, Colonel Lizette Zeelie, said.
“We need to learn to be able to relax sometimes, and this is a great way to build team spirit.”