The appointments form part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen leadership within Saps.
Picture: Saps
Four provinces in the country will be getting new South African Police Service (Saps) police commissioners.
The Acting National Commissioner of Saps, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, together with the respective premiers and members of the executive council (MECs) responsible for community safety and liaison, will announce the appointment of new provincial commissioners in the Western Cape, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
Appointments
Police spokesperson Major General Nonkululeko Phokane said the appointments form part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen leadership within Saps.
This is in line with the organisational renewal programme and reinforces the organisation’s commitment to professional, ethical, accountable and effective policing in support of the Saps Reset Agenda.
Upcoming provincial briefings
- Western Cape: Wednesday, 29 July 2026 at 11am, Saps Provincial HQ, Cape Town
- North West: Thursday, 30 July 2026 at 11am, Disaster Management Centre, Mahikeng
- Limpopo: Friday, 31 July 2026 at 9am, Saps Provincial HQ, Polokwane
- Mpumalanga: Friday, 31 July 2026 at 2pm, Saps Provincial HQ, Nelspruit
Currently, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape are among the provinces with acting commissioners.
Mkhwanazi
Last week, KwaZulu‑Natal (KZN) police commissioner Lieutenant‑General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was tasked with leading South Africa’s new National Organised Crime Strategy, a move announced by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia as part of the Police Reset Agenda.
The strategy, endorsed at the minister of police, deputies and all community safety MECs (MINMEC) meeting, will target organised crime syndicates and illicit economies across provinces.
Mkhwanazi’s expanded mandate comes as government prioritises 140 high‑crime police stations nationwide.
Community involvement
Cachalia stressed that community involvement is key.
“Sustainable safety cannot be achieved through law enforcement alone. Government will therefore strengthen Community Policing Forums and deepen partnerships with civil society, business, traditional leadership, faith‑based organisations and organised community structures.”
The Reset Agenda also focuses on ethical leadership and accountability.
“These include strengthening ethical leadership and governance through enhanced integrity systems, rigorous vetting processes, lifestyle audits, stronger accountability mechanisms and decisive consequence management,” Cachalia added.
Crime
Last year, Cachalia said there had been a significant decline in crime, stressing that crime and violence are “always unacceptable” and that the Madlanga commission was a reset Saps needed.
“We are taking steps to reset. I am positive that both the Madlanga commission and the ad-hoc parliamentary inquiry are going to help us establish a public record, a consensus in our society about what needs to be done going forward, in what I have called a reset, and I think that that should be the focus.
“I know that’s hard sometimes, as we are so alarmed by shameful behaviour that is on public display, but this is a necessary process,” Cachalia said.
It comes at a time when allegations of rot, corruption and interference in the police and the criminal justice system take centre stage at the Madlanga commission.
