Durban - I expected Major-General Bala Naidoo to be similar to an army drill sergeant, the ones you watch in American movies.
He was anything but.
Naidoo, who protected and served South Africans for 41 years, was friendly and talkative.
Having left school at the age of 16 due to financial constraints, Naidoo tried his utmost to join the force.
But he was too young and was twice turned away.
He sought odd jobs over the next two years but in his heart knew where his future lay.
As he reflects on more than four decades in the service, Naidoo encouraged the 2017 batch of matriculants to never give up on their dreams.
The 60-year-old father of two and grandfather of one, who retired a day before the New Year was ushered in, said despite the police often coming under fire, he remained optimistic the SAPS could take the country forward.
“There are a lot of good policemen and they play an important role in the country and, more importantly, in communities. I have faith they will continue to excel in the fight against crime.”
He said he was concerned about the number of police officers being gunned down on duty, sometimes by the same communities they were tasked with protecting.
“Communities need to come out and support our officers,” he said.
“We are seeing growing support from community policing forums and religious organisations and that is a step in the right direction.”
Naidoo, of Wyebank, grew up on a sugar estate in Phoenix and was one of seven children.
His dad, Poonsamy, was a sirdar (manager) on the plantation, and his mother, Parvathee, cared for their family during the week and at weekends sold herbs at the Verulam market to help supplement the family’s income.
From an early age, Naidoo learnt first hand about life’s challenges.
“My siblings and I walked 10km every day to school and despite being the best pupil at Kasturba Gandhi Primary School in Inanda and winning awards, my family’s poverty got to me,” he recalled
“When I entered high school, I soon realised I needed a proper school uniform and shoes and with my parents’ limited income, I was left with no choice but to help them on the farm and at the market. I also worked on the Sarie Marais at the Durban harbour, selling cooldrink and sweets to earn money to buy a uniform.”
But soon after starting high school and excelling in class, he had to drop out.
The unemployed youth decided to try his luck at the local police station.
“I always wanted to be a policeman. While I was in school, the police would raid a nearby den that was popular for illicit activities and I used to watch them make arrests. But at 16, I was turned away as I was under age,” he said.
Naidoo had to find a way to earn an income and secured a job as a layer at Kings Park Clothing on Umgeni Road.
Five months later, he tried to join the force again but was turned down.
He then worked at a mattress factory shop in Mobeni Heights until he turned 18.
“Third time was definitely the charm,” he said.
“I applied at the Railway Police Unit and got accepted.”
After six months of basic training, Constable Naidoo’s station commander, Warrant Officer Strouvel, encouraged him to further his studies.
Naidoo studied for his sergeant’s exam and in his final year, wrote matric.
“I came out tops and became a detective at the Maydon Wharf police station.”
During this time, Sergeant Naidoo recalled how his family home and the community’s temple was destroyed during the Group Areas Act.
“Our community was close-knit and we held on to our culture. In fact, everyone spoke in their vernacular, including my family (Tamil).”
His family relocated to Phoenix but his stay there was short-lived. He met his now wife of 36 years, Neela, and after marrying, they moved to Merebank.
Three years later, in 1981, Naidoo was promoted to warrant officer and as the only Indian, underwent a lieutenant exam in Johannesburg.
“Although it was apartheid, we shared everything - the canteen, the kitchen and bathroom. Only travelling to Johannesburg was different because of our races.
“The course was taught in Afrikaans, so I had to work harder because I had to translate everything to English. At the end, I beat 18 people in their own language but unfortunately, did not get the lieutenant post.”
Eventually in 1986, Naidoo obtained his lieutenant title. He then joined the SAPS public relations department and remained there for two decades.
Over the years, Naidoo’s rank moved to captain in 1990 and five years later to major.
“In 1997, I was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and in 1999 became brigadier,” he said proudly.
In 2007, Naidoo became the station commander at Durban Central police station.
“There were a lot of issues, including the time officers took to respond to call-outs. I changed it from 27 to 7 minutes. With a strong team, including Brigadier Harry, head of detectives Brigadier Delport, General Sithole and General Nunkumar, we made changes and within a year, the station was considered one of the best at understanding the needs of the community.”
With these improvements, Naidoo was tasked with taking charge of a number of stations as a cluster commander in Durban Central.
“Apart from my normal duties, I was also exposed to major events, including the Fifa World Cup, and we set a new standard in the country with regard to policing. Our work was done so perfectly that I conducted presentations in 2012 on our readiness and how we prepared and executed our plans.”
Apart from being a respected top cop, Major-General Naidoo is the newly elected deputy president of the South African Tamil Federation.
“I joined the federation in 2000 and we started programmes and bursary schemes and took on projects that would uplift the community and keep the Indian culture alive. The most important thing a person has is their culture and it is their duty to keep it alive and pass it down to the younger generations.”
Naidoo, who is completing his Master’s in public administration, is spending his retirement promoting language and culture, enjoying time with family and gardening.
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