New commander for Rietgat police station
“My mandate is clear, it is to combat crime - and nothing else.”
Brigadier Molatelo Maphoto has been appointed as the new station commander for the Rietgat police station.
Maphoto started at the station last week Monday.
He will be taking over from Colonel Stephina Nkosi, who has been at the helm of the station since 2019.
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Rietgat police spokesperson Captain Stephen Maluleka said Maphoto began his career in the SAPS almost three decades ago.
“He cut his teeth in the ruthless streets of Johannesburg and Soweto where he started his policing career back in 1992 as a student Constable and worked his way up through the various ranks to Brigadier.”
Maphoto said one of the reasons he was delighted to join the station was that the personnel at the station seemed positive.
“It looks like I made the right move by joining this winning team,” said Maphoto.
“My mandate is clear, it is to combat crime – and nothing else.”
He said one of the things he needed to prioritise in his tenure is to deal with the areas that crimes are most likely to happen.
“The informal settlements are the ones that are giving me a problem in terms of so-called trio crimes (house robbery, business robbery and vehicle hijacking). These are the areas I need to make my priority.”
Maphoto said he was working closely with the local CPF chairperson to meet community members in the areas where crime was rife.
He said they have also put plans in place to deal with the drug issue in their policing precinct.
“I have a squad in place to address the issue of drugs. We are doing very well; however, I must indicate that we cannot afford to have people who do what they want thinking that there’s no law. I cannot allow lawlessness.”
He urged community members to work with the police to curb crime in the area.
“My message to the community of Rietgat is that as police we cannot work in isolation. I need the community more than anything else. Communities are the ears and eyes of the police. We need to forge a relationship between the two.
“Together, I think we will make a difference.”
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