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Lt-Gen Nkankoane Apaphia Modise has been appointed as police commissioner for Mpumalanga, officially taking over the role from Saturday.
Acting national police commissioner Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane announced her appointment on Friday. Modise succeeds Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi, who has been the acting provincial commissioner for the past three years.
Dimpane said Modise’s appointment followed a selection process aimed at finding the right leader to strengthen policing in Mpumalanga.
She said the province faces several policing challenges because it borders Mozambique and Eswatini and is an important route for trade and tourism.
Mpumalanga is also battling violent crime, organised criminal groups, illegal immigration, cross-border crime and illegal mining, especially around Pilgrim’s Rest and Barberton.
Modise will be responsible for policing across 90 police stations in the Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande and Nkangala districts.
Dimpane said one of her main tasks would be to improve crime investigations, strengthen intelligence, hold police leaders accountable and work more closely with communities to fight crime.
“Modise has spent 37 years in the South African Police Service. She joined the police in 1989 after completing her training at the Hammanskraal Police Academy,” Dimpane said.
She said Modise started her career as a constable before moving into detective work in the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit, where she investigated cases involving women and children.
“Over the years, she served as station commander in Senekal and Odendaalsrus before leading policing clusters in the Free State,” she said.
Most recently, she was the Free State deputy provincial commissioner responsible for crime detection.
Dimpane said Modise’s experience as a detective would help improve investigations and strengthen the police’s response to gender-based violence and femicide.
She also thanked Mkhwanazi for leading the province during the past three years and for his 40 years of service in the police.
Dimpane urged Modise to lead with integrity, stay close to the communities she serves and remain firm against corruption and crime as she takes charge of policing in the province.
TimesLIVE
Seipati Mothoa
www.timeslive.co.za
