EVER since joining the police force, Colonel Muzi Twala’s passion and drive have always been to protect the community and to be an outstanding law enforcement officer.
Recently appointed as the new Mariannhill SAPS station commander, Twala is adamant to increase the rate of arrests, change the police attitude and gain back the trust of the community.
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Born and bred in Inanda, Twala trained as a police officer in 1994 and started working at KwaMashu Police Station. Since then, he served at various stations and worked his way up.
Twala was transferred to Mariannhill from Ezinqoleni SAPS where he was also a station commander.
“As a police officer, you have to be trustworthy and have integrity,” he said.
According to Twala, police officers need to equip themselves with education and that is why he always encourages his staff to study.
“I only joined with a matric certificate, but I wanted more for myself and the community I serve. So, I pursued my studies and I now have various diplomas.
“Education is important as it changes a person’s perception and a way of approaching a situation,” he added.
Plans for the Mariannhill area
Twala said since he started his position at the beginning of February, he has discovered that crime is rife in the area, especially contact crimes such as murder, attempted murder and assault.
“We need to come up with a turnaround strategy,” he said.
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To address this, Twala and his team have already met with various stakeholders such as councillors and CPF structures.
One of the issues he has noticed is lack of police visibility around the Mariannhill area and too many unsolved crimes.
“This needs to change and to do that, police attitude needs to change. They need to take their work seriously, this notion of having people in the area that are known as ‘untouchable’ and that certain changes cannot be implemented, need to stop.
“If we as police fail, who will change this?” asked the new station commander.
Following meetings with various stakeholders, Twala said things look promising, but he needs the community to be on the polices’ side and trust them.
“The reality is there are fewer police officers than there are residents so we really rely on them to report crime. In saying that, I want them to also report police officers who are not doing their job and utilising state equipment for their personal gain,” he said.
Twala said that his door is always open, people are always welcome and he is willing to consider new suggestions.
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