A senior officer credited with reducing crime rates in Joza and bringing the police closer to the community has moved on after just six months of service.
A senior officer credited with reducing crime rates in Joza and bringing the police closer to the community has moved on after just six months of service.
Joza Police Station head Brigadier Colonel Malibongwe Ntsabo is going to be in charge of visible policing for the Eastern Cape's 195 stations at the South African Police Service's Provincial headquarters in Zwelitsha, King William's Town.Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Celiwe Binta gave him his new rank and insignia at a meeting in Zwelitsha on 6 August.
"To leave Joza was a tough move, but it is for a good purpose," Ntsabo told Grocott's Mail.
Ntsabo said as head of the Visible Policing Division of the 195 stations in the Eastern Cape he'll be doing the same work as in Joza, just on a larger scale. He reports for duty on Monday 18 August. But Ntsabo's approach to crime was up close and personal.
"We always strive to improve service and relations with the community and I remember the first thing we did when we started at Joza – we visited the community and started introducing ourselves and giving out our cellphone numbers," he said.
Chairperson of the Joza Community Police Forum Ntombizandile Stoff said, "It was pleasant working with Colonel Ntsabo as someone who understood the challenges of the community very well. The fact that he comes from the same culture and background as us made things much easier."
According to Stoff, crime levels went down during Ntsabo's tenure at Joza.
"He was accessible and we would call him at any time of the night whenever there was a problem in the community," he said.
"We will miss him and we congratulate him on the new appointment." Binta called on Ntsabo to "execute your primary responsibility, which is reducing crime and effective utilisation of all resources, with dedication and passion”.
Lieutenant Colonel Syad Cassim is the acting head of the Joza Police Station. Before joining the new Joza station, Ntsabo was head of the Grahamstown Crime Prevention Unit based at the Beaufort Street offices.
He was hailed for introducing strong police visibility in Joza and fighting crime by working close with the Joza community.
