MBOMBELA – On Friday night Hazyview and White River police stations were among the shining stars at the SAPS Provincial Prestige Awards at Emnotweni. Members were rewarded for their hard work during the 2016/17 financial year.
“Tonight we celebrate and award outstanding performance by individual members, units or stations,” said provincial commissioner, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma in his word of welcome.
“This ceremony is intended to encourage those who may not have performed optimally. May they improve and occupy the space of excellence. We also encourage winners to keep it up,” he said.
He thanked Nicholis Funda, who heads the Missions Area Joint Operations Centre (Majoc) in Skukuza, for facilitating effective cooperation between various crime-prevention and crime-fighting stakeholders in the Kruger National Park.
Zuma also stressed that Mpumalanga’s community policing forums, headed by Kevin Pillay, were a great crime-prevention asset. He said the provincial police worked well with traditional leadership and community policing forums. “Our common goal is the safety, security and well-being of our communities,” he added.
The award ceremony’s master of ceremonies was provincial police spokesman Brig Leonard Hlathi.
Hazyview’s detective team was honoured with a gold award as the best detective unit in the province.
The award was received by detective commander, Capt Mhlapeki Manzini.
Hazyview’s public order policing squad was named the best unit in the province.
White River’s flying squad was second.
White River’s visible policing unit won the Vispol team of the year. Their successes included the recovery of 25 vehicles worth R6,7 million and 25 arrests. Eleven firearms were recovered valued at R114 000 in total. This K9 team recovered stolen goods worth over R1 million. Narcotics to the value of R61,2 million were confiscated by the province’s best Vispol team.
In the crime intelligence team of the year category, provincial border security’s Col Cain Sibanyoni accepted the award on behalf of his team.
Zuma awarded special prizes to three units from White River SAPS. They were the water wing, the K9 unit and the flying squad. These special awards were called “catch of the year” and motivated by their high numbers of arrests made.
Sgt Elizabeth Mogoa from Lydenburg won the woman of the year award for playing a critical role between management and the community. Capt Doctor Dlamini from Lydenburg was second in the men’s category.
In the category for best administrative employee, Sister Amanda Mashego (level 1-7) and Capt Susan Annandale (level 8-12) were runners-up.
The runners-up in the administration team of the year category were the provincial human resource utilisation performance management team. The provincial commissioner’s personnel management recruitment team won the category.
In the best artisan assistant of the year category, Mbombelan Dumezulu Mthethwa was the runner-up and Pele Gameda from Mashishing the second runner-up.
Directory of priority crime intervention administrative employee Sibongile Msimango was honoured as the unit’s second best administrative employee. Nonhlanhla Kanya was the winner. Paraplegic, Lt Col Colin Smith was named the best performer in the category for persons living with disabilities.
Safety and security MEC, Pat Ngomane had words of wisdom for the winners “We congratulate you. Remember that in our industry, winning is a bonus as the main goal is ensuring safety among South Africans. Remain shining examples to your colleagues, citizens and non-citizens of the republic,” he said.
