A former Cape Town Metro Police officer, Yolisa Mkaza, has broken her silence about a deeply humiliating incident during a night shift, detailing how she was allegedly denied official transport home despite suffering a heavy menstrual flow that soaked her uniform.
The incident, which took place on 24 January 2024, has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about the support and dignity afforded to female officers within the Metro Police Department. Ms Mkaza says the shame and lack of accountability following the event ultimately led to her resignation in August.
Denied Basic Dignity
According to Mkaza, she was on her first night shift when she experienced a heavy menstrual flow. She immediately requested assistance to either change her uniform or be transported home, but says she was repeatedly denied permission to use an official vehicle.
“I had to swap my jersey around my lower body to conceal the soaked pants,” Mkaza stated.
She described waiting for more than 30 minutes for managerial approval, during which time her condition worsened. She was shocked that the final refusal came from a female superior.
“She is a female and she should know how it feels to ‘bleed through’,” Mkaza explained. “It’s embarrassing enough to admit to females, but that night I was on duty with a male colleague.”
Forced to hitchhike
Unable to secure official transport, Ms Mkaza was eventually dropped off at a petrol station near the N1 highway and was forced to hitchhike to reach home safely.
“I felt embarrassed and then also so unsafe,” she recalled. “It’s like that feeling of shame overtook me and I was more focused on getting home to change than to think I am walking woman alone on a highway.”
Mkaza emphasised that she does not blame her colleagues, acknowledging they were following orders. However, she expressed deep frustration at the subsequent lack of accountability from her superiors.
“There was nothing done to the superiors… I wasn’t even called to ask what happened, no apology, not even a check up to hear if I was okay,” she said.
She stressed that her request was simple: “I just asked to be transported home to clean myself up and put on a fresh uniform, I would resume my shift because this happened early in the shift.”
Resignation over ‘dignity’
Mkaza ultimately left the service months later, asserting that the traumatic experience undermined her professional dignity.
“I left because of dignity! I felt humiliated, I felt unsafe, I felt ashamed,” she said, adding that her ongoing complaint is not only for her own sake but also to prevent other female officers from facing similar situations. “There are still thousands of other female officers, and what if they end up in this situation?”
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has stepped in, calling on the office of the Chief of Law Enforcement to clarify whether the way Ms Mkaza was treated was appropriate and whether the Employment Equity (EE) office has clear guidance regarding women’s issues in the workplace.
City responds with sensitivity training
Ruth Solomons, spokesperson for Metro Police, confirmed that the incident took place.
“While there are policies in place around the use of official vehicles and staff transport, due regard has to be applied once the particular circumstances have been assessed,” she commented.
She added that the incident was investigated and concluded with a recommendation that supervisory staff members undergo sensitivity training.
Solomons confirmed that Ms Mkaza resigned from the City in August this year to take up another employment opportunity.
Weekend Argus
