Rustenburg - North West police will have a new provincial commissioner in the new year.
Police minister Bheki Cele announced on Thursday in Pretoria that lieutenant general Sello Kwena had been appointed as the provincial commissioner for North West, effective January 2.
Kwena has 31 years policing experience. He holds a national diploma in police administration, national higher diploma in policing, a degree in police science, a bachelor of law and a BA degree in human resources management.
He was appointed as a lieutenant general on September 1, 2016 as the divisional commissioner for human resource utilisation.
"This officer too brings with him a wealth of experience at station level as well as at divisional level, at operational response services, visible policing, human resource development, human resource utilisation and inspectorate. He served as a station commander at Makwassie Hills, Jouberton, Mmabatho, and also served as a cluster commander of Vryburg district," Cele said.
Kwena replaced lieutenant general Baile Motswenyane, who will be the provincial commissioner in the Free State. Motswenyane was appointed as a lieutenant general on February 1, 2016 as the provincial commissioner for North West.
She replaced lieutenant general Moeketsi Sempe, who was appointed divisional commissioner for visible policing.
Sempe was appointed as a lieutenant general on April 1, 2018 as the provincial commissioner for the Free State.
Cele also appointed lieutenant general Yolisa Matakata as the provincial commissioner of the Western Cape. She was appointed to the rank of lieutenant general on December 1, 2015 as the acting national head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and on April 1, 2017, as the deputy national head of the Hawks.
"I am confident that the changes and appointments made will add tremendous value to our efforts to preventing and combatting crime nationally," Cele said.