By Buziwe Nocuze
- Nyanga police officer wins national award for feeding the poor and rebuilding homes using her own salary.
- After just seven months at Nyanga SAPS, she won the district award. Then she scooped the Provincial Award days later she was crowned the 2025 National Woman of the Year in Durban.
A Cape Town police officer who spends her own salary to feed the poor and rebuild burnt homes has been named South Africa’s Woman of the Year.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sheila Mateza from Nyanga SAPS started helping her community by setting up soup kitchens and neighbourhood watches six years ago.
Now her kindness has earned her national recognition.
“The award is for all the good things that I have been doing for my community, using my own money; no one is sponsoring me,” said Mateza.
Her rise to the top has been rapid. After just seven months at Nyanga SAPS, she won the district award. Then on 18 January, she scooped the Provincial Award, and by 26 January, she was crowned the 2025 National Woman of the Year in Durban.
“I am over the moon and I have never thought that I would achieve this,” said Mateza.
Despite struggling on a police salary, she has managed to feed hundreds through two soup kitchens and help rebuild homes for families who lost everything in fires.
“I compromised so many things because I didn’t have money. I was dependent largely on my salary,” she said. But that didn’t stop her from also collecting school uniforms from previous learners to give to children in need.
The awards have energised her to do even more. “They will encourage me to continue doing more for the community,” she said.
Mateza hopes her work will change how people see the police. “People don’t know the good things SAPS do, and I am not doing this to get praised, but I am happy that my work is being recognized,” she said.
Pictured above: Lieutenant-Colonel Sheila Mateza from Nyanga SAPS crowned the Woman of the Year.
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
