REACTION TIME KEY, SAYS NEW TOP COP
The newly appointed station commander at the Polokwane Police Station, Brig Matome Makhura believes community effort remains crucial to curb crime.
He vowed to enforce community-oriented policing to the satisfaction of citizens.
“I am looking forward to working with all crime prevention structures and the community because community policing is the ultimate solution for all the challenges we are currently facing,” he says.
Makhura, who is currently pursuing an LLB degree, took his oath of office on October 3 (Monday), led by the Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe.
Taking note of the crime rate in the city, in his police career spanning 32 years, Makhura says reaction time is what he found needs to be worked on the most to fight lawlessness.
His long-term plans include intensifying visibility hot spots, giving feedback to complainants, and prioritising gender-based violence cases.
He admits that the responsibility of taking on a city’s police station is an uneasy one, but aims not to leave any available resources behind to motivate officers to do their work.
“With the involvement of all stakeholders, we can win the fight against crime. As the police, we are more than ready to serve,” he remarked.
Hadebe’s office published a media statement that expressed belief in Makhura’s capability to nip crime in the bud as he went through the ranks assuming the position of captain in 2002 where he was also appointed as sector manager for Polokwane Central Business District.
Later, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel attached to the SAPS’ Polokwane Crime Prevention Unit.
“Since joining the police, he worked in various environments such as the K9 unit in Polokwane, Altona Police College as a trainer, and Crime Prevention in Polokwane where his skills in identifying conflicts and applying operational solutions emerged and thereafter led the SAPS Polokwane Taxi Violence Unit,” the statement reads.
He was in 2011 deployed as police advisor for the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), in Sudan, and was appointed as commander of Botlokwa police station in 2013, after concluding the mission at the level of Lieutenant Colonel.
“In 2018, Makhura was transferred to the then Mankweng Cluster and then became the Capricorn District Vispol Commander, holding the rank of a colonel.
“Before his appointment as the station commander of Polokwane
Police Station, he served as the visible commander at Seshego Police Station,” the statement reads.
I am looking forward to working with all crime prevention structures and the community to find solutions