With spring comes prospects of hope as well as new beginnings, and this was the case for Malvern SAPS who recently welcomed their new station commander, Lieutenant Colonel Nokuthula Mthethwa.
Mthethwa, who has had to hit the ground running, took over the reigns on 1 September following the departure of former station commander Lieutenant Colonel Valerine Reddy, who retired at the end of August. Following in her father’s footsteps, Mthethwa joined the SAPS and was stationed at the KwaMashu SAPS as a constable and worked in the Community Service Centre. In 2003, Mthethwa joined the detective branch at the station and was quickly promoted to sergeant and worked at the provincial security services at the Durban Harbour from 2007 to 2009. Shortly after being promoted, Mthethwa then set her sights on becoming a warrant officer and was again promoted and then stationed at the Rapid Rail Police Reunion Corridor where she served until 2015.
With another promotion on the cards for the ambitious police officer, she found herself taking on the role of captain for the Inanda SAPS Crime Prevention Operation until 2018. With many ranks under her belt, Mthethwa was finally promoted to lieutenant colonel and served as a relief commander at KwaMashu SAPS until the end of August and has now joined the Malvern SAPS as the new station commander. Mthethwa said she has already met with the community policing forum (CPF) and will be engaging closely with them to ensure that each resident lives in harmony. “I want to ensure the area has a zero crime tolerance and the community feels safe at all times. I also want to ensure that members serving under me enjoy being in their work place. As a team, we will make certain that all perpetrators will be brought to justice,” she said.
On taking over from Reddy, Mthethwa said she had big shoes to fill. “She (Reddy) has been my mentor through my journey and I feel very honoured to take over from her. I owe my success at the police force to two prominent authorities in my life, General Chirwa (acting district commander) and SAPS Inanda Vispol, Commander Colonel Ndaba for their guidance and mentorship along my journey.” Mthethwa said she is looking forward to making a change for the better within the community, helping to enrich the lives of each family by providing them with the peace of mind that the Malvern SAPS will protect and serve the community as best they can. The Malvern CPF has welcomed Mthethwa’s appointment and is looking forward to working closely with the lieutenant colonel in future projects.
