Trust is the cornerstone of good communication for this Tongaat Saps captain

When Captain Patrick Ngwane joined the police service in 1986 the country was transitioning from apartheid to democracy and they were working hard to rebuild trust with the common people.

“Being a police officer back then was quite challenging as people were suspicious about the role of police officers and whether they could truly protect the community.”

Now the Tongaat police spokesperson, Captain Ngwane said good communication was a vital tool in restoring and maintaining that trust.

He considers modern technology and social media a major asset in enabling people to communicate with the police.

“When I started the community did not have the privilege of connecting with the Saps through communication channels such as Twitter and Facebook.”

He said the police station was divided into four sectors, and each sector has a commander.

Every month meetings were held with the community role players and the information was shared on WhatsApp groups to keep residents informed.

Although he will soon reach retirement age, Ngwane keeps his mind sharp while studying towards a masters degree in management sciences and public relations management.

His research focuses on the role of internal communication in the Saps.

Ngwane, who is a proud father of three girls and a member of Rivers Church in Durban North, is passionate about education.

“I come from a family of academics,” said Ngwane, who’s wife and three daughters have all pursued tertiary education, in fields ranging from nursing to industrial psychology and commerce.

He said it gave him great pride to be able to contribute to improving Saps’ methods of communication.

“I have been fortunate enough to witness the changes that have evolved within the Saps as well as contributing my B-tech research study in communication in enhancing the way Saps engages with the community.”

Ngwane has been a police officer for 33 years and he has held the rank of captain, commander of corporate communication, since 2017.

“Being part of Saps has taught me to appreciate my life and my ability to make a difference to others.”

Community policing forum chairperson Nazir Sadack, described Ngwane as a very approachable person, who was always willing to lend a hand.

“It is not just him, the station has a open door policy and are a pleasure to deal with,” said Sadack.

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