Firoz Cachalia

Last engagement for the day: Meeting with AgriSA and AgriEC on measures to strengthen rural safety @SAPoliceService

[Underway] Briefing session on progress of the Cooperation Agreement in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and the state of policing following SANDF deployment @SAPoliceService @NMandelaBaymuni

[Underway] Meeting with the @Bay_Chamber The Business Chamber has requested to engage the Ministry on the safety and security challenges facing Nelson Mandela Bay and identified immediate interventions that can be implemented to address these challenges.

The Ministry of Police is in Gqeberha today, for a series of meetings all aimed at strengthening cooperation between the SAPS and various stakeholders. The Executive Mayor of @NMandelaBaymuni Cllr Babalwa Lobishe will also form part of today’s engagements.

Lt General Mamotheti, the Divisional Commissioner for Visible Policing and Operations is leading the @SAPoliceService delegation, accompanied by the newly appointed Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt General Ncata.

#sapsHQ [READ] Speaker notes: National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola announces the appointment of the #SAPS Free State Provincial Commissioner. Following the retirement of Lt Gen Baile Motswenyane, the position of Provincial Commissioner of the Free State became vacant. We once again extend our sincere gratitude to Lieutenant General Motswenyane for her selfless service and for the leadership she provided in steering the province in the right direction. General Masemola announced the promotion of Major General Thabang Lesia to the rank of Lieutenant General and his appointment as the new Provincial Commissioner of the Free State. Lieutenant General Lesia brings with him 39 years of dedicated and distinguished service, having joined the service as a student constable in 1986. He began his career as a detective and later served as a Detective Commander at Seloseha Police Station in Thaba Nchu, before advancing to the role of Provincial Commander for Organised Crime. He has also served as Station Commander of Virginia Police Station near Welkom at the rank of Colonel and was later promoted to Brigadier as Station Commander of Thabong Police Station in 2010. In 2016, he was promoted to the rank of Major General as Cluster Commander of Mangaung, and in 2019 he was appointed as Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for Policing; a position he has held until now. Lieutenant General Lesia holds a BTech degree and a National Diploma in Policing. #ServingOurCommunities #FightingCrime ME saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspe…

#sapsWC [MEDIA INVITATION] Integrated deployment and state of readiness for #OperationProsper. Members of the media are hereby invited to attend a joint operational parade involving the #SAPS, the SANDF and the City of Cape Town. The parade forms part of final readiness preparations ahead of the deployment of SANDF members to support SAPS in crime prevention operations across the Western Cape under the name, Operation Prosper. The parade will demonstrate the state of readiness of deployed forces and reflects an integrated deployment approach by law enforcement and security partners to enhance safety and combat crime in affected communities. Details are as follows: 🗓️Tuesday, 31 March 2026 🕙10:00 📍35 Squadron, Erica Drive, Belhar. #SaferCommunities ME saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspe…

Underway: Briefing following the mass shooting in Westbury, Johannesburg, which has since claimed the lives of two people, leaving three others in hospital- including a 15-month old baby.

@muzi_mocco @Abramjee Parliamentary questions are sent to the relevant departments for reply.The Minister of Police is responsible for the SAPS and the three entities under it, including IPID. Each entity prepares its own response and the Minister submits these responses to Parliament on their behalf.

@Abramjee How independent is IPID if its reports can be classified by the police minister?

Extension of Acting Period of the Executive Director at IPID: The Acting Minister of Police, Mr Firoz Cachalia, has extended the acting period of the Executive Director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Dr Hlengani Bila, until such time that the vacancy created by the departure of the former Executive Director is filled. This extension, which is also supported by the Portfolio Committee on Police, is intended to ensure continued stability and effective leadership within the Directorate. Dr Bila has been acting in this capacity since August 2025, following the conclusion of the contract of the former IPID Head, Ms Ntlatseng. The process to fill the Executive Director position is currently underway, and further updates will be provided as developments unfold.

@muzi_mocco @Abramjee The Minister does not determine the classification. As the custodian of the report, IPID determines the classification status of its reports, consistent with the National Strategic Intelligence Act.

Daveyton Police Station recorded significant decreases in a number of crimes during the 3rd quarter. The police station experiences the same challenges as Actonville Police Station.

[Underway: Oversight Visit - Daveyton Police Station] @SAPoliceService

The Ministry will engage with the Premier of Gauteng @Lesufi regarding the operational hours of these outlets in an effort to reduce the associated crimes.

[Oversight visit: Actonville Police Station] The police station has a Victim Friendly Room, where assistance and support is given to victims of Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse @SAPoliceService

There are 74 registered on-site alcohol consumption venues, which have been identified as significant contributors to crimes such as murder, rape, and assault between 18:00 and 06:00 from Thursday to Monday.

Following the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the SAPS and the City of Ekurhuleni in 2024, coordinated efforts in the fight against crime have been strengthened and same continue to yield positive results.

In the recently release 3rd Quarter Crime statistics, significant reductions in most crimes reported at the station were recorded but crimes such as murder, attempted murder and sexual offences increased.

[Underway] Oversight Visit - Actonville Police Station @SAPoliceService

The police station collaborates with a range of stakeholders, inclusive of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Hostel Leaders Forum (Izinduna), Social Crime Prevention Members and the Business Sectors, who are present today.

#sapsHQ A 41yr-old, convicted drug trafficker was arrested on Friday morning at his home by the SAPS National Intervention Unit (NIU) in Cape Town. Stanislav Stamenov, a Bulgarian national, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment in Romania in 2009 but fled the country shortly after. Stamenov, was part of a large criminal organised group involved in the trafficking of Heroin into Romania. It’s believed that he was hiding in Cape Town for several years where he was now working as a gym instructor in several well-known fitness clubs. He was placed on an Interpol red notice, which is a global search request to law enforcement agencies across the world for assistance in apprehending a fugitive. Following his arrest by NIU this morning, he is detained and will appear before the Wynberg Magistrate Court for his extradition matter on Monday. Next week, 33yr-old Alton Ncube will be surrendered to Interpol SA by Zimbabwe authorities. Ncube is #wanted by Gauteng police for murdering his wife in February 2025. The murder took place in Jabulani, Soweto and at the time of the incident, Ncube captured everything on video and shared it widely with friends and close family members. He shortly thereafter fled the country to Zimbabwe and was arrested in that country. Ncube will be handed over at the Beitbridge border post on 04/03. #DrugTrafficking #CrossBorderCrimes ME