Pinetown detective is KZN’s best

LISTENING to Det/Sgt Nkosikhona Phetha taking you through the hardships he has faced is like reading a thriller novel or watching a nail-biting action movie.

Phetha was recently named the Best Performing Detective in KZN at a recent police awards event hosted in Pretoria.The hardworking Pinetown SAPS Det/Sgt achieved a 90 per cent conviction rate in the financial year 2017/2018 alone and has secured a total of 202 years imprisonment for cases ranging from house robbery, carjacking, armed robbery to possession of unlicensed firearms.

Raised by a cop and a family of police officers, Det/Sgt Nkosikhona Phetha never dreamt of entering the profession, but losing his father in a mysterious way instilled the love to serve his community in him.

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The humble Phetha, who is dedicated to his job, started working in the industry in 2006.

“Growing up I have been surrounded by cops and I wanted to change this and do something completely different. I studied IT and before I was called to the police force, I had already been offered a job in Johannesburg.

“My father was against it and his wish was for me to become a policeman. When I was called to join the police, I decided to accept as I did not have his blessings to go to Johannesburg.”

Looking back, Phetha now knows that his father, Sgt Bongani Phetha and God had a purpose for him.
“Just three months after I got back from police college, my father was killed on duty. To this day, we do not know what really transpired.

“We were told that there was a shoot-out between him and his best friend (Sgt Bongani Fihlela) in the car park in Mpumalanga Police Station. Between the two of them 28 bullets were shot. It is still a mystery.”

That incident opened Phetha’s eyes and made him realise there are many people left with more questions than answers.
“There are so many cases that never get resolved which is the reason I work to the best of my ability.”

Fights for his life

Dealing with serious crimes has made Phetha a target, “I have been attacked at my home in Hammarsdale by unknown men.

“In 2015 I was shot in a robbery with an AK47. I was on standby on the day and I was going to help someone when the robbers started shooting at me. I tried to retaliate, but there were so many of them, and I was shot in the upper back,” he said.

Phetha spent weeks in ICU fighting for his life, “even the doctors did not think I was going to make it, but with God’s grace, I am alive and the incident did not stop me or discourage me to do my job.”
One of the cases that stood out for him is when he arrested the suspects who murdered two foreigners, execution-style, in the Inchanga area.

“I believe that those people were killed because they were witnesses in a robbery case I was working on. Another case that I am proud of is securing a conviction of 27 years for a man found in possession of unlicensed firearms. Removing those firearms and ammunition from him saved lives as we do not know who was going to kill using them.

“What is of concern is the many political killings, especially in the Inchanga area,” he said.

His social side

Besides being a hardworking cop, Phetha has a fun side to him as he enjoys socialising with people.
“As much as I am a man of the law, I am also a human being. I have nothing against criminals I just do my job to see that justice is served.

“I still live in the Hammarsdale area and during the week, if I am not working, I spend time with my friends or family. But on Sundays, without fail, I go to church. I am a firm believer in God and with everything I have been through, I always pray before I go to work.”

He is a proud father of a 16-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son.

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