Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela. Picture: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers.
Outgoing Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela has given his last update before retiring after serving the police force for more than five decades.
Mawela indicated that the provincial department, which have weathered storms, is now in calmer waters, especially on issues pertaining to financial management.
Mawela who was appointed to the position on February 1 2019 gave the province under his tenure a glowing five-year review as he delivered what is likely his last address as commissioner.
He said on his appointment, the province made specific priorities which shaped the implementation of a turnaround strategy intended to assert the authority of the state.
“The initiatives contained in the SAPS turnaround strategy are intended to assert the authority of the state, ensure thorough and responsive investigation of every crime, as well as effective crime intelligence to support proactive and reactive policing. The strategy also makes provision for a collaborative and consultative approach to policing, with enhanced focus on basic policing issues, such as ensuring that front-line police officers have tools of the trade required to fulfil their constitutional mandate,” he said.
Mawela was hosted at a gala dinner attended Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and many other top brass this past weekend.
According to Mawela the strategy included the implementation of the district development initiative aligned to five districts, crime intelligence, identification of 40 priority police stations, heightened provision of tools of trade, and crime information management.
When it comes to rebuilding dilapidated police stations and construction of new facilities, Mawela said there was a heightened need to improve accessibility to policing services which was also achieved by mobile police stations to areas affected by crime and without brick and mortar stations.
“The need to improve accessibility to policing services to the communities resulted in the establishment of 18 additional service points throughout the province during the past five years. Twelve mobile contact points donated by the Gauteng provincial government, three satellite stations upgraded to fully-fledged police stations, namely Doornkop and Mohlakeng.
“The province further recorded a total number of 57 police stations completed in respect of the security upgrade project from 2019 and 2023. Security upgrades were inclusive of, but not limited to, perimeter fencing, perimeter lights, vehicle and pedestrian gates, as well as transparent barriers in the CSC,” he said.
The Star