CAPE TOWN - The South African Air Force is in the headlines again, but this time it is for a positive note. Phetogo Molawa is the first female officer to take command of the Port Elizabeth SA Air Force (SAAF).
Molawa can write her name in South Africa's history book as the first woman and first back person to take control of the SAAF Station in PE.
News broke of the achievement on Saturday after a tweet by Lucy Lastic.
Lastic is the mother of the current commanding officer at the station, according to her tweet. Her son will hand over command of the PE station to Molawa.
My son handing over command in PE SAAF yesterday to not only the first Black, but the first woman! I’m shocked it didn’t make more media coverage. She’s a great chopper pilot & single mom. Take a bow, Phetogo (‘Pets’) you’re a star. pic.twitter.com/wrSaVEdJd8
— Lucy Lastic (@rosiecrackers) June 9, 2018
Lastic's tweet has been retweeted by more than 2700 twitter followers and has over 5000 likes.
Lastic could not stop praising Molawa, "He (her son) says she’s one of the best (even among males) he’s ever trained. Since about Feb this year, he’s been grooming and helping her ease into the Big Seat as Boss. She’s very popular."
Molawa is from the Free State and has trained as a pilot in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
This is not Molawa's first record, according to the SouthAfrican.com, she was also the first black female pilot in SA and received her license when she was only 21.
PE SA Air Force
Air Force Station in Port Elizabeth is situated on the north-eastern side of the Port Elizabeth Airport main runway. It was downgraded from an Air Force Base in the early 1990s.
It is home to C Flight of 15 Squadron which currently operates four BK 117 helicopters. Their primary role is maritime and landward search and rescue.