Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele on Tuesday welcomed Jennifer Dikeledi Ntlatseng as the first woman to be appointed executive director for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
The appointment comes after the National Assembly last week approved the nomination made by Cele to the police portfolio committee.
Ntlatseng, 49, has 20 years of experience in the criminal justice system and community policing sectors.
The Soweto-born mother of two started her professional career in an administrative role in the Gauteng provincial Department of Community Safety. She went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Unisa.
Ntlatseng served as an assistant director in youth crime-prevention in the Gauteng Department of Community Safety from 2001 to 2004.
She became the deputy director in community police relations for a year, before being promoted to director of the same unit.
Ntlatseng held this role until 2017 and has for two decades also served as a member of the Gauteng community forum board.
Cele said he wished Ntlatseng well in her new job and urged her to exercise her duties without fear or favour.
“The role of the Ipid is a very important one for us as the South African Police Service and we hope the directorate remains a corrective body and not a punitive one for our members,” Cele said.
He also said he was confident the appointment of Ntlatseng would bring much-needed stability into the organisation.
"Ntlatseng’s appointment couldn’t have come at a better time as the country marks Women’s Month and when the government is improving gender representation by appointing more women in positions of power as heads of institutions and in senior management positions," Cele said.
Ntlatseng has expressed her enthusiasm to hit the ground running in her new role.
“I want to steer this ship in the right direction and at the same time be open and transparent while trying to rebrand Ipid to win back the confidence of the community," she said.
Political Bureau