Cape Town - It was a bittersweet day for Nyanga residents who said farewell to their station commander, Brigadier Vuyisile Ncatha at the weekend, as he leaves for a new position in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Marimba beats and dances could be seen and heard on Saturday at the farewell event where residents including the Community Policing Forum (CPF) spoke highly of Ncatha’s sterling work which sought to improve murder figures in the community.
Ncatha has been promoted from Brigadier to Major General and is leaving to be a district commissioner in Nelson Mandela Bay.
CPF secretary Dumisani Qwebe said Ncatha had an open door policy and they were hoping the next leader will do the same.
“When we first heard that Brigadier Ncatha has been promoted we were heartbroken but also not surprised because he has been working hard. We are very proud of him and all he has achieved. He has always been a people’s person hence the CPF had a good relationship with him,” said Qwebe.
For years Nyanga has been considered the murder capital, however over the past financial years its murder statistics have fallen.
In 2019, Ncatha scooped the Station Commander of the Year award at the provincial Police Service Excellence Awards.
Ncatha said: “As the station was dubbed a murder capital I knew a lot of work would have to be done to turn things around. Indeed, it was not easy and the first step was to change the mindset of our officers. I also understood no crime fighting vision can be fruitful without working with all stakeholders including the CPF. I am where I am today because of sleepless nights, people were being killed and it always worried me. Some nights I would cry in my office and the leadership in the community also made me stronger. I am truly grateful for the promotion, it is a dream come true.”
Action Society spokesperson, Ian Cameron said it is going to be very challenging to find another leader that would fight dangerous threats with the same enthusiasm.
“New leadership is not a bad thing and often brings new and positive change to the table. Hopefully that will be the case,” he said.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said while congratulations were in order for Ncatha it was a great loss for the Western Cape and particularly for the community of Nyanga.
“I’d like to wish Brigadier Ncatha all the best in his new role that he’ll be taking up in the Eastern Cape. We’ve had a productive and positive relationship with him and through this relationship, which included the deployment of LEAP in the area.”
Allen said they were hoping the relationship will continue with the next leader as a solid foundation has been laid.
Cape Times