Welcome to Brigadier Happy, Krugersdorp’s new station commander

Addressing illegal mining, enforcing gambling, liquor and second-hand dealer regulations as well as ensuring a strong working relationship with the community – these are only a few of the issues the new Krugersdorp Police station commander Brigadier Happy Xaba wants to focus on.

The 54-year-old Brigadier explained that one day, while still at school in Ladysmith, there was a protest. He was mistaken for a participant in the protest and as a result was arrested. But that would be the moment that changed his life. While at the police station he remembered one of the officers pointing to a dot on the wall and telling them that they were no more important than that dot. And they would never be more important than that dot.

As soon as he was released, Xaba gave it his all. He went back to school, studied hard, passed matric and furthered his studies. But that officer’s comments stayed with him and he decided to join the police and show this man what he, Xaba, was made of.

In order to get his family to approve he promised them that it would only be for five years.

“Whenever it became time to leave another project would come up and I would tell myself, ‘just this project and then I am done’,” he said, laughing.

But after many years, being a police officer is now in his blood. He wants to teach his members to ask questions, to not be dismissive and rather see how they can help or what the problem is.

Xaba was promoted to constable in 1993, sergeant in 1995 and inspector in 1998. In 1999 he was promoted to functional personnel in the SA Police Service and in 2000 he was promoted to captain and administrative line function and support personnel before becoming a superintendent in 2001. Later that same year he was promoted to Management and General Support personnel and in 2010 he was promoted to colonel. Then in 2015 he was deployed to Douglasdale Police Station as a support head. Lastly he was promoted to brigadier in 2021 and became the commander of the Yeoville Police Station in 2019.

He served with the Kagiso Police as a support head from 2006 to 2015, and said when he joined their ‘offices’ were shacks. Determined, he helped to get the building built and in 2008 the Kagiso Police Station was opened. He spent the next few years in Kagiso as a building manager and facilitator for both the police station and the court.

Xaba has played a big part in the police’s Service Delivery Improvement Programme which he managed for many years. He wants to enhance the relationship between the police and the community, and bring more forums to Krugersdorp.

“I know illegal mining is an issue. So, if we have to finally close the mines down and rehabilitate them, that is what we need to do.”

He has set a personal goal for himself to add at least five more trophies to the station’s trophy wall, and said the Community Policing Forum is the gate between him and the community.

Lastly he added that he would like to see the Munsieville Police Station reinstated.