New commander brings passion and dedication to FCS

ON January 2, Captain Thokozani Zikalala took the helm as the head of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations Unit (FCS) in Vryheid.

While he has spent the past three years in the Stock Theft Unit in Nongoma, he has known since his time in FCS in Ladysmith, from 2000 to 2015, that this was where he wanted to make a difference.

An investigation into the brutal gang rape of a mother of two would dramatically test his skills of persuasion, persistence and detective work to eventually lead to a conviction… And the experience was such a defining moment in his career that Captain Zikalala remembers every detail like it was yesterday.

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“I always knew I wanted to be a police officer,” begins Captain Zikalala. “Growing up in Ladysmith, I had an uncle who was in the police service in Durban. Since my grandmother lived with him, I spent most of my school holidays in Durban with my uncle. He was my role model. He supported me financially and I admired the fact that criminals were afraid when they saw him in uniform. I, too, wanted to play a role in reducing crime.”

The uncle Captain Zikalala is referring to is Captain Bheki Jerome Simelane of the Point SAPS, who was shot and killed in April last year. Caxton community newspaper, the Phoenix Sun, reported on April 19, “At about 6am, while walking to Stonebridge Drive to meet his lift club, the officer was accosted by occupants of a red VW Polo, who shot him before fleeing the scene. Nothing was taken from the victim, not even his firearm. Police are investigating further.”

“I joined the Bramley SAPS in Johannesburg after completing my training in 1992,” continues Captain Zikalala. “In 1998, I was transferred to the Ladysmith Community Service Centre. From 2000 till 2015, I was an investigator in the Ladysmith FCS. I chose to join this unit because, when I had duties as a court orderly in the past, I would listen to these sexual offences cases. I realised there were not many officers investigating them even though the number of cases were escalating and more and more women and children were being encouraged to come forward. I knew I had to do something.

“During my time at FCS, I solved the one case that is still imprinted in my mind today.

“A woman was travelling from Durban to Mpumalanga with her two children, an 8-year-old boy and a 12-year-old-girl. She was going to visit her husband. Their home was in Durban but he was working in Mpumalanga.

“Just past the Tugela toll plaza, the woman experienced some car trouble. She was stuck on the side of the road. Five men approached her and offered their help. One of the men started tinkering with the car, while the other four dragged the woman into the bushes and took turns raping her. When they were done, all five fled. She got the car started but was only drive a further 2km down the road when the car broke down again. Officers that were patrolling in the area stopped to investigate but the woman was so terrified she would not open her window or unlock the doors to speak to them. I was on standby so they called me in.

“When I got there, it was raining hard. I spoke to the woman, gently calming her down until she opened the door for me. She explained what had happened and I was concerned that her children had also been hurt, but they told me that they weren’t. I contacted breakdown to collect the vehicle and I took the woman to the hospital. I stayed with the family until 4am. Her husband had driven to meet us at the hospital when he heard what had happened. The family decided to leave the country and vowed to never set foot in South Africa again… But I still had a case to solve.

“One of the men involved in the rape had taken the victim’s phone. When I called the number and said I was the victim’s husband, he didn’t believe that a black man could be married to a white woman and he bragged about raping her. Even though he had later arranged to have the phone sold to pay bail for an assault case, we were able to use the phone to track his whereabouts and all the men were arrested.

“The next challenge would be to get the victim to come back to testify in court… But she had refused. At that stage the court was ready to throw the case out, but there was one prosecutor, who I have the greatest respect for, who helped me secure convictions and 20 year sentences for the men involved in the rape, using DNA evidence alone, and without a witness testimony.”

This incident was a learning curve for Captain Zikalala on many accounts, but was mostly a revelation of how the law can be used to protect the innocent and secure justice for victims of crime, when people are passionate and dedicated to making the world a better place.

Now, Captain Zikala is committed to applying this same passion and dedication to his role in Newcastle.

Asked what challenges he hoped to overcome in Vryheid, Captain Zikalala said he was disappointed by the fact that the Vryheid Hospital did not seem to have proper facilities available to protect the privacy of rape victims.

“When I accompanied a rape victim to the hospital for an examination, she had to go through OPD (Out-Patients Department) just like everybody else. I hope to engage with the management to change this,” he said.

He concluded, “I encourage residents to report incidents of sexual abuse. It is important to have those stats, even if your case is not resolved. If we hide this, it won’t be regarded as a priority by government. Let’s work together. We need the community’s help to gather evidence and I promise to be available whenever I am needed. I am prepared to listen and to try to help as much as possible. My door is open.”