- Brig Khuthala Masakala has taken over as the new station commander at Khayelitsha Police Station, bringing 22 years of experience and a commitment to reducing crime in the area.
- Masakala has outlined a plan to increase police visibility, conduct stop and search operations and engage with the community to build trust.
- She has emphasized the importance of community involvement in fighting crime, appealed for residents to use the police station wisely.
Khayelitsha Police Station has a new station commander following the departure of Brig Mnoneleli Magobiyane.
With 22 years experience in the police service, Brig Khuthala Masakala has officially taken the reins. She joined the station on Monday 2 September and has vowed to root out crime in the area.
Before joining Khayelitsha, Masakala worked at various stations. She worked as a station commander in Hout Bay, Da Gamaskop Police Station in Mossel Bay and Thembalethu Police Station in George.
She confessed that being a station commander was not a child’s play and required a lot of hard work.
“Khayelitsha is known for being volatile,” said Masakala. “It is known for murder, carjacking, house robberies, street robberies, and so on. As officers we can’t fight crime alone. We need the community to come on board and assist us as well.”
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The 49-year-old stated it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure safety in the Khayelitsha policing precinct.
Masakala declared she had a plan in place that is set to limit the space in which criminals can operate. “Police visibility is very important,” she said. “We are not going to roam around with the state vans just for the community to see us. We are going to do stop and search, roadblocks and so on. We will ensure we leave no stone unturned.”
Masakala stated no-one is immune to crime. “I need everyone to be vigilant and to inform us if they see anything that is suspicious. People must use the technology at their disposal. They have smartphones. A person can just send us a location then we’ll come.
“She or he can just stand next to the house where drugs are suspected of being sold and just WhatsApp ‘drugs’, and then we will go straight to the house and search it without mentioning his or her name,” she explained.
Masakala stated the Khayelitsha Police Station was there for the community and appealed to residents to use it wisely. She said part of the police’s role is to conduct awareness campaigns and have community engagements, giving residents a platform to raise their concerns.
Masakala emphasised that rape victims will be prioritised.
She concluded that she will ensure that she solidifies their relationship with other community stakeholders.
