Col Hermanus Havenga took over the reins in Etwatwa, while Col Kesavan Nengal-Chittiah heads the Daveyton cops.
Their appointments are effective from October 1 and both colonels come with wealth of experience in the police service.
Hermanus has been in the service for 35 years and is a man who “keeps my promises”.
He plans to try to change a lot of things.
“First I will have to deal with the problematic issue of contact crime; there is a huge problem with assault, which emanates from shebeens and liquor outlets,” said Havenga.
He is looking forward to working with the community and the CPF.
Havenga warned that corrupt officers have no place under him.
“I expect no officer to take or accept lunch or a Coke in return for not carrying out their duties,” he said.
There is no doubt that his counterpart in Daveyton is faced with a bigger challenge, particularly after the Mido Macia incident, which painted the station in a bad light.
Nengal-Chittiah promises a fresh start, though.
He was the station commander in Actonville at one stage and, more recently, in Rabie Ridge, Tembisa.
“I will recommit and re-establish community trust in the police,” he said.
Nengal-Chittiah will also re-affirm and re-institutionalise command and control and tackle motivation and moral issues in order to achieve the discipline associated with them.
He will also deal with the issue of absenteeism.
The commander will drive the process of sector policing by reviving the CPF and sector forums and mobilising patrollers, including reservists.
Front line office delivery will also be improved and he will apply every trick he learned to balance the interests of community and staff members.
He added that he is not new in Benoni, and has been living here for 17 years.
Nengal-Chittiah appealed to the community “to receive us and work together to ensure police get loyal and committed”.
He did not want to entertain the Mido Macia issue, citing sub judice.
