New Wierdabrug police commander sets out to regain community trust

The Wierdabrug police finally have a new commander, and he is out to bring discipline back.

Colonel Mankontsho Abram Setlhare told Rekord that his first mission was to win back the trust of the community.

Wierdabrug SAPS also welcomed the new Vispol commander Colonel Lekana from Mabopane, who will be responsible for uniformed members as well as the charge office.

Captain Annemarie Verster, a Centurion resident, has also been moved over to Wierdabrug. She will be managing the firearm section.

The station has been without a commander since 2021, while residents’ confidence in Wierdabrug has declined.

The April to June crime stats showed that Wierdabrug continued to face a high number of burglaries at residential premises, with 169 reported – five more than the same period last year, while crimes detected as a result of police action decreased to 13.

On the other hand, 1 186 people reported a crime.

Setlhare said that he is working towards restoring community trust in the local police by bringing a firm hand to rule and order within the precinct.

“The problem is that we have let down the community so many times, and that’s why they don’t trust us.”

He said the system needed more attention on catching criminals, who were becoming bold as they didn’t fear being caught.

Setlhare has managed a station since 2012 and was transferred from Muldersdrift SAPS where he commanded since 2017.

“I was only 18 years old when I joined the SAPS, directly from school.”

On January 12, 2024, Setlhare celebrates 30 years of serving in the police force, bringing his sense of discipline and eye for detail to Wierdabrug.

“I joined the police because I hated criminality with all my heart. I had a passion for being a police officer ever since I was a small child. So when I finished matric, there was no question, I wanted to join the police.”

Setlhare said he never lost that passion as he worked his way through the ranks.

He is passionate about sport and believes that keeping an active and disciplined personal life is integral to performing his duties with pride.

He is a straightforward man who describes himself as someone who calls a spade a spade and leads by example.

In his first few days in the role, Setlhare put on his overalls and set out to clean the station, and has already implemented changes to streamline the processing of cases reported to the station.

“I am here to manage the station, not to listen to pity parties. If you don’t like it, tough luck. Not everybody is going to like me, so when I say we go left, we go left. That’s just what we are going to do.

“At the end of the day, I am not sitting here with my own powers, I am here representing the president of this country.”

Ward 66 councillor Ina Strijdom said she was grateful to welcome the new commander.

“I think the community will agree with me that we felt there was no law and order, crime was getting out of hand and there was a sense of distrust from the community’s side towards Wierdabrug SAPS,” she told Rekord.

“I had to deal with many complaints about the station.”

Strijdom wished the new management team success in their effort to regain the trust of the community.

“I look forward to working with him and seeing and experiencing the positive change he will make to the Wierdabrug precinct. I also look forward to starting working again with Wierdabrug SAPS, CPF and security companies on clean-up operations.

“Let us make Centurion a safe area again!”

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