Local police rewarded for excellence at first ever Cluster Awards
The SAPS Tonga Cluster held their first ever prestige awards yesterday to reward police at the eight stations and three ports of entry that form part of their structure.
KOMATIPOORT – Police officials gathered at Lion and Leopard Lodge yesterday (Tuesday) for the Tonga cluster’s first ever Cluster Prestige Awards.
Officials from the cluster’s eight stations and three port of entries, as well as cluster community policing forum chairperson, Mr Stanley Madonsela, and Lt Col Presley Mkhatshwa from the provincial detective service.
Komatipoort SAPS won four awards: station commander of the year, admin employee of the year, second runner-up in Vispol employee and second runner-up in the Vispol team of the year.
Schoemansdal and the Tonga Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit each won three awards, Tonga SAPS won two awards and Mbuzini one.
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Maj Gen Dorah Xaba, the cluster commander, encouraged members to continue their good work. She quoted from Genesis 2 and said that the police’s job is mandated by the Holy Bible.
The cluster’s good work is evident from their many initiatives.
Last Tuesday they held a community dialogue at the Mzinti Community Hall, aiming to encourage the community to help police in their fight against crime.
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The event engaged representatives from structures such as the traditional healers organisation, spiritual leaders, taxi associations, the Nkomazi Local Municipality, non-governmental and youth organisations and the department of community safety, security and liaison.
A second meeting was held on Wednesday with business owners and farmers and a third one with Matsulu community members on Thursday.
The various crimes occurring in the area and ways to address it were discussed.
