Men and women in blue woke up on Monday morning, 29 June, to the shocking announcement of the passing of one of Gauteng’s finest senior and seasoned police officers, Major General Theko Johannes Pharasi following a short illness.
General Pharasi, 59, was the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Visible Policing in Gauteng and served the organisation diligently and with distinction for almost 40 years. He joined the South African Police Service as a Constable in 1980 and moved up the ranks to Major General, a rank he held since April 2010.
Equipped with his academic qualifications, medals, and experience, General Pharasi occupied different positions in different police stations in Gauteng, especially in the Johannesburg District, including Dobsonville, Orlando, Randfontein, Randburg, Johannesburg Central, Johannesburg East, and Alexandra.
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He then rose up the ranks to what was formerly known as Area Commissioner of Johannesburg, then Deputy Provincial Commissioner of Visible Policing, and Cluster Commander of Johannesburg West. Major General Pharasi was re-appointed in February 2019 as Deputy Provincial Commissioner of Visible Policing, in which capacity he served until his unexpected death.
The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, paid tribute to the late Major General Pharasi.
“General Pharasi departs at a time when his intellect, passion, commitment, professionalism, and assertiveness are most needed as security forces strive to maintain a balance between crime prevention and enforcing the Covid-19 Disaster Management Act Regulations,” he said, lamenting the vacuum Pharasi’s death created in the leadership of Gauteng Police.
On behalf of the management of the police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Mawela has extended condolences to Idah Pharasi, his children, the extended family, and everyone who worked closely with the late General.
General Pharasi was set to retire in November this year.
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