New Limpopo SAPS communication head tells all
The words 'serve and protect' are the foundation Brig Matlafela Mojapelo builds his work on
POLOKWANE – Brig Matlafela Mojapelo is no stranger to the art of effective communication and he has big plans to streamline communication between police and media houses in Limpopo.
With more than 14 years experience in the field, the newly appointed Head of Corporate Communications (HCC) for the Limpopo Police is the ideal man for the daunting task that lies ahead.
Mojapelo was in awe of the authority and respect police officers command when he was still a child and consequently joined the police force in 1993. He was deployed to Limpopo soon after he joined.
“I wanted to be someone who others would look up to and respect for the important service they deliver to the community. It inspired me to always do my best and treat everyone fairly. My father served in the army and I felt the need to do my part to serve my country.
To him, the words ‘serve and protect’ are the foundation he builds his work on and he believes it should be the same for any police officer.
“Once every police officer understands that this mantra is the core of their position, they will be able to serve the community better.”
When it comes to the light in which the community views the police, he says there is definitely room for improvement. He explains this view can only change if the police and the community work closely together.
“You cannot buy respect, you have to earn it and you can only earn it by behaving your best, and helping the people in the community.”
One success story that stands out most for him during his career thus far was when a young boy was killed by several rugby players and he was the sole communicator with media houses.
“It was an incident that made world news. Our main aim was to remind people that not all rugby players should be shunned because of the atrocity a few rugby players committed. We wanted to avoid a situation where the community labels all rugby players as murderers. I was not part of the team responsible for recovering the body but I was with the team that, in the end, ensured justice was served,” he says.
The most important message he wants to leave in the minds of readers
“We can only succeed in eradicating crime when there is cooperation between the community and the police. Very often, people have knowledge of planned crimes and if those people contact the police, we can be proactive and stop those crimes before they happen.”
He explains that preventing crimes is the first step in the right direction for creating a crime free country. He says the resources spent on trying to find the criminals and bring them to book can be put to better use if the actual crime is prevented.
