Alex began this year by welcoming a veteran leader to its police station.
With 31 years of experience in the South African Police Service, Brigadier Zoleka Joyce Kuboni (53) took the reigns on 21 December last year, replacing acting commander Colonel Nhluvuko Zondi, who is keen to return to her past love in the detective service.
Kuboni is set to tackle crime from two fronts in a township with ongoing concerns about safety and security. She said she intends to rely on the men and women in blue working in a united, committed, professional manner and doing so with dignity and respect for all residents, whatever their social status.
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Describing her work as a calling with a love of helping people, especially children and the elderly, Koboni said, “I maintain an open door policy to enable everyone to approach the station with their crime-related concerns but doing so [by observing] protocol. I expect every police officer to receive and attend to every resident professionally and with the dignity they deserve.”
She said that only with unity will the officers succeed in the task of providing a positive people-oriented service. “Without unity, it will be hard to get positive responses and the public’s confidence in us.”
Kuboni also anticipates the public’s full participation in combating crime. “I expect residents to provide us with information on criminal activities taking place among them. Our success will be limited without good communication with them.” This, she said, extended to all stakeholders including non-profit organisations, the taxi associations, traditional leaders and healers, schools, churches, the Community Policing Forums, safety patrollers and the policing areas’ cluster members.
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She said she looks forward to being introduced to the public at an imbizo-like platform where she will articulate greater details of her intentions and plans, and where she will listen to the public’s concerns in a free and engaging manner. “This will be the beginning of developing the police and public’s trust in each other,” she said.
Kuboni has already been to most areas in the township and expressed deep concern about the social conditions, in particular at Setswetla informal settlement, and the overcrowded shackland among the few formal houses, said by others to contribute to the unrelenting crime. She, though, would not confirm this assertion until she gained a greater understanding of the nuances of crime trends and causes.
Her previous postings were as the Norwood Police Station’s commander, acting commander at the Rosebank Police Station, leader of the social crime unit at Jeppe Police Station and head of the firearm registration unit at Linden Police Station, following earlier stints on the beat at the Dobsonville and Jeppe stations.
Details: Alex Police Station 011 321 7600.
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