Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni has been appointed as the new Gauteng Police Provincial Commissioner, South Africa’s top cop Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola announced on Friday.
Mthombeni has been the acting provincial commissioner for a month, since the retirement of Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, who served the SA Police Services for 39 years.
Masemola made the announcement on Friday at the Gauteng Provincial Headquarters in Parktown, Johannesburg.
Mthombeni’s credentials
Lt Gen Mthombeni has been a member of the SAPS for 37 years, having joined the police in 1986.
He holds a National Diploma in Police Administration, and a National Higher Diploma in Policing and a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
Masemola said he was confident in Mthombeni’s capabilities.
“He has been instrumental and a key figure in developing and implementing crime combating strategies to reduce levels of crime in the province and we have full confidence that he will continue to lead and contribute in ensuring that serious and violent crimes in this economic hub are dealt a blow,” he said.
New commander for visible policing
Furthermore, Masemola also named Lieutenant General Maropeng Johanna Mamothethi as the new Divisional Commissioner for Visible Policing and Operations.
Mamothethi has been with SAPS for 28 years. She holds a Diploma in Policing, a BTech degree in policing, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management.
Masemola said she was responsible for enhancing partnership policing programmes and ensuring that officers heighten their response on gender based violence and femicide.
“Since April 2022, she has overseen the destruction of more than 72 000 firearms that were voluntarily surrendered to the state and confiscated during crime combating operations across the country,” said Masemola.
MEC of Community Safety and Liaison, Faith Mazibuko, who also attended the briefing, said the two positions are critical in ensuring the deployment of capacity and resources in the executing the mandate of fighting crime.
“The filling of critical vacancies is a top priority for SAPS management and it is done to ensure accountability and stability within the organisation with a view of enhancing service delivery to our communities,’’ she said.
Mthombeni will have to hit the ground running as Joburg residents expect to hear about the arrests of the suspects who opened fire and killed three people, including a second year university student, during the Braamfontein shootings this week.
Police have said they are still investigating the case, with no arrests made.
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