WATCH: JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar retires after 41 years of service

Retiring Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Wayne Minnaar gave 41 years of dedicated service to the city, with the past more than two decades spent at the JMPD.

Monday was his last day in service to the JMPD. Mayor of the City of Joburg Mpho Phalatse, at a farewell for chief superintendent Minnaar on Monday , said there needed to be a balance in terms of youth unemployment and keeping those people still required.

“There are behavioural aspects in the older people in the system that we do not want to lose,” she said “It is my firm belief that if you still have it in you to give, the system should not rob you of an opportunity to do so.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Phalatse said she could not believe Minnaar was leaving and letting him go was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. She said he still had it in him to perform and that he was still wise and had abundant knowledge – and the passion with which he had served was unparalleled.

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“I am only bidding you farewell because I am told to do so but I have not accepted it,” she said.

“He did not only educate but informed. He has an uncompromising attitude when the truth is concerned and he is able to tell it with a smile.

“He manages to give off good energy even when he tells the hard truth.” Phalatse added that as a multiparty government, they would invest in educating and informing people.

“In my view, it is unfair to enforce the law when you have not educated the person first and you could discover that once you have done so, people will want to do the right thing,” she said.

Minnaar said he still felt he could contribute a lot to the department and the city. He said he had gained a lot of experience, having started serving the city in 1981.

“I have become very accustomed to all the streets and the roads of Johannesburg.

“The area I will miss the most is Braamfontein. That is where I started my career as a 22-year-old officer,” he said.

Minnaar described the pinnacle of his career as the day he escorted the late Nelson Mandela to the wedding of his daughter, the late Zindziswa Mandela. This was, he said, the most memorable moment in the years he served the city of Johannesburg.

“When they were done with the formal proceedings, I got the opportunity to interact with former president Mandela and that was an amazing experience,” he said.

Minnaar added that he had a few avenues in both the public and private sector to explore. He said he was ready to provide information and assistance and contribute towards safety while he embarked on crime prevention, and would educate motorists.

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“I have worn my uniform and badge for 41 years with pride and as I retire, I can look back on the service I gave to the citizens of the city of Joburg with honour,” he said.

“The lessons I will impart to the younger officers will be to be true to the badge and communities one serves and to wear one’s uniform with utter integrity .

“Which is why I don’t think will have an opportunity to sit for too long. I will have to be busy again.”

Member of the mayoral committee for environment and infrastructure services Michael Sun said if he had been asked to write something about Minnaar he would not have been able to because “where do you start to write about the 41 years of dedication and selflessness he showed to the JMPD and the people of Joburg”.

“Being the face of JMPD is not easy, but Minnaar did it with so much ease.

“Thank you for serving the city. Have a golden start and please do not go too far from us,” Sun said.