A 70-year-old man is a living example that one can fight crime even at a ripe old age.

Police reservist Mashudu Dima of Miluwani Sokoutenda, who triples as a traditional healer, an expert on sexual matters for the youth and a radio commentator, is a familiar face at the Sibasa area office of the SAPS.

Dressed in his bright, clean police uniform, he has vowed to give criminals a run for their money. He is one of the oldest reservists and is determined to turn the tide on crime. To show how determined he is, he was recently chosen to undergo formal training at Uppingen Dam near Potchefstroom.

Asked how he joined the fight against crime, Dima was quick to point out that it came naturally. “I used to work as a bus inspector for a company in Gauteng and whenever there was a criminal on the bus, I would order the driver to turn to the nearest police station and leave the criminal locked up there. I hated crime and told myself that I would help the police in fighting it,” he said.

A visit to England in 1996 was the turning point in his life. “While we were enjoying ourselves overseas, thieves were trying to steal from my house. On failing in their mission, they resorted to torching the house, but fortunately it was not completely gutted. That was the turning point in my life and I made a vow that I would offer myself as a crime fighter in my community,” he said.

Dima says there was a lot of crime taking place in the area where he stays. He said they were the first to start a neighbourhood watch, with night patrols in the streets of the village. “This worked for us and crime declined drastically in our area. Everybody was happy that our surroundings were now safe,” he said.

Dima said as part of the job he was making sure that the gap between the police and the community narrowed. He finds time to go on a door-to-door campaign, talking to people about crime, finding out about their problems and how they want the police to work with them.

He also advised communities to make by-laws at their respective villages which, if transgressed, the person would be liable to a penalty that the community had agreed upon. He said this would ease the burden of police having to deal with cases that communities could deal with on their own and give police more time to work on serious cases.

Dima said he had told himself that he would fight crime to the last, irrespective of his age. “I am 70 years now but do not take my age as a stumbling block in fighting crime. Everyone could contribute to a safer environment and together we can make our communities a better place to live,” he said

Thohoyandou station commissioner Nelson Marungane heaped praises on the work Dima is doing in beating crime. “He is one of a rare species in the police service. At the age of 70 he is still very active in fighting crime. We would like more and more elderly people who think that they have nothing more to offer their communities to please join us; together, we could beat crime,” he said.