Speaker notes by the Deputy Minister of Police, Dr Polly Boshielo National Intervention Unit Operator’s Badge Parade Tshwane NATJOINTS
Thank you Programme Director,
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Masemola
All Deputy National Commissioners present
All Divisional Commissioners present
All Generals, Brigadiers ad Senior Officers of the SAPS
Commanders and personnel of the SAPS Tshwane Academy
Parents and relatives of our members of parade
All invited guestsLadies and gentlemen
Good morning!
It is both an honour and a privilege to address you today, as we witness the culmination of eleven (11) months of hard work, dedication and determination. Today, we celebrate the graduation of our two groups of newly trained National Intervention Unit Operators who some in 2022 and others in 2024 have undergone the NIU Selection Programme.
Today, as you receive your NIU badges, we do not just celebrate the end of a training programme – we mark the beginning of a lifelong commitment to serve with courage, discipline and honour.
To the new Operators today: Congratulations on this remarkable achievement. You have answered the noble call to serve and protect the people of this country and for that, you deserve our deepest respect and gratitude.
The badge that you will henceforth wear is more than a symbol – it is a solemn promise. A promise to uphold the values of integrity, vigilance and selfless service.
The road to this day has not been easy. The training you endured was designed not just to break you physically but to test your mental resolve and your moral character. You have been pushed to your limits, stripped of all comfort and then built back stronger, sharper and more united. You now understand that being part of the NIU is not just about skill – it is about attitude, mind set and integrity under pressure.
The badge you wear today is not a reward – it is a responsibility. It represents trust. The trust of your commanders, our communities and our nation. From this moment on, you are the first line of response when peace is threatened – whether by armed criminals or high-risk operations where failure is not option.
The training you have undergone is about building character, trust and resilience. Often unnoticed, often uncelebrated, but always essential.
To the instructors and commanders – thank you. You have shaped these members with your discipline, your knowledge and your belief in what they can become. You reminded them that intervention begins not with weapons or tactics but with discipline, intelligence and teamwork.
To the families and loves ones – your support has been their silent strength. Thank you for your sacrifices, for your patience and for standing by them even when you did not always understand where they were or what they were facing. You are the foundation that gives them strength.
To the operators once again – you have shown resilience, loyalty and grit. You have bled together. And now you stand together – not just as graduates, but as guardians of the people of South Africa. Never forget that you are not above the law – you are protectors of it.
As NIU operators, do not seek recognition but rather seek results. Quiet victories. Safe communities. Lives saved. Peace restored.
Let us go forward from today with humility, with honour and with an unshakable commitment to serve and protect the Republic of South Africa – no matter the threat, no matter the cost.
Always remember: the badge does not make the Operator; the Operator gives meaning to the badge.
I thank you!
