Meeting the General

Hi All,

I had the pleasure of attending a presentation & trouble shooting session with the new Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng – Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros.  General Petros speaks honestly and compassionately about his role and the problems that are evident.  If his war talk is anything to go by, Gauteng criminals have got a lot to be worried about.

He has come to us from the Western Cape and he is a political appointment.  The National Commissioner of the SAPS appointed him to take this role in Gauteng.  Let this not take anything away from his promises of action & intervention.  He has got the lazy and inefficient in the SAPS quaking as he prepares to shake our organisation from it’s foundations all the way to the top.  Watch this space as change appears to be afoot.

Priority areas identified (not a complete list nor is it in any order):

  • Sector policing – High-visibility policing
  • Victim empowerment
  • Recognition & rewards system for SAPS
  • Corruption
  • 10111 call centre
  • Response time reduction
  • Officers within the station must apply themselves to their stations & community

He has also made sure that all of the officers within his command have made a commitment to these new goals and promises.  He wants commanders to command.  He believes that the citizens of Gauteng deserve a better service from SAPS.  The impact of their work is the way it has an impact on our lives.  He has promised to reduce crime by 10 percent for every year that he has in his position.  At the moment he has been given 5 years and this will then represent a 50 % decrease in crime for our province.  If we can succeed in this then Jozi will once again become the City of Gold.

If we can support the SAPS through our community we can then decrease crime even further.  That is if we all provide the support that our community deserves and needs.  A donation of time, money or effort to the Norwood CPF is a donation to your own community.  Remember, charity begins at home!

Yours,

Duncan
Norwood Community Police Forum

Article written by Duncan Barker