Lieutenant Khunou flies high with elite SAPS unit 

By Doreen Mokgolo

Determined to overcome her fear of flying, Lieutenant Kgothatso Khunou is the first black female chief helicopter pilot attached to the SAPS Airwing in the Free State and deployed in Operation Vala uMgodi.

Operation Vala uMgodi is a multidisciplinary operation involving the SADF and Home Affairs. It fights illicit mining across the country.

She is one of 17 female SAPS pilots nationwide.

Growing up in Rustenburg, Khunou believes an aviation career found her rather than vice versa.

“While in high school, I planned to pursue a career in science. After completing my matric, I studied for a national diploma in biotechnology.”

Shortly after completing the qualification in 2010, she received a scholarship from the Royal Bafokeng administration to train as a commercial pilot.

“I had a fear of flying but decided to build up the courage and challenged myself to overcome this fear by taking up the opportunity,” she said.

This ultimately led her to join the SAPS in 2014 as a junior pilot with the rank of warrant officer.

Her responsibilities are operational flights, during which she provides aerial support as requested from ground units, searching for stolen stock and vehicles, and assisting with search and rescue operations.

Khunou played an essential role in a recent women-led Operation Vala uMgodi to celebrate Women’s Month.

The team arrested 1,178 suspected illegal miners and recovered 400 phendukas (hand-driven cylinders used to process gold) and other illicit mining equipment in Benoni on 1 August.

She is one of the growing number of women in South Africa who are breaking boundaries in male-dominated environments.

Khunou lives by the saying: “When you set goals, always tell yourself that the sky is not the limit. I once feared flying, but now I serve my country fearlessly as a SAPS helicopter pilot.”

Pictured above: Lieutenant Kgothatso Khunou.

Source: Supplied