Johnathan Paoli
THE South African Police Service (SAPS) has bid farewell to Gauteng police commissioner and veteran officer Lt-Gen Elias Mawela.
Mawela previously held senior roles within the police service, including deputy area commissioner of Pretoria, component head of border policing, divisional commissioner: operational response services and Natjoints chairperson.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola lauded Mawela and said he was an excellent commander who left an indelible footprint on all the units he worked with.
“To him it didn’t matter where he was deployed, he served the people of South Africa for the past four decades with sheer diligence and commitment,” Masemola said.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said that Mawela joined SAPS as a student constable in 1984, where he started serving in the Mamelodi policing precinct and worked his way up the ranks to the level of lieutenant-general in 2011.
“We thank his family for allowing him to serve the SAPS. From the men and women in blue, we salute you, general, for your unwavering commitment,” Mathe said.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Nocks Seabi, on behalf of the committee wished Mawela well on his retirement and thanked him for his dedicated service to the people of Gauteng and the country at large.
“Despite various challenges within the broader SAPS family, we always had confidence that he was a capable leader that assisted the organisation to navigate the challenges. He has left an indelible mark on the SAPS efforts to fight crime in the country,” Seabi said.
The Chairperson encouraged new recruits into SAPS to emulate the exemplary leadership displayed by Mawela and said that his unwavering commitment and hands-on leadership were in the forefront as witnessed during various operations including Operation Shanela and Operation O Kae Molao.
Seabi said that SAPS senior management should move with speed to fill the huge gap that has been left by Mawela.
“We need more people with the qualities exhibited by General Mawela in the police service if the country is to succeed in the fight against crime,” Seabi said.
SAPS spokesperson Mathe confirmed the process to replace Mawela as provincial commissioner was under way.
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