“It is my passion.”
These four words explain why Lieutenant-Colonel Noxolo Patience Rulwa has brought 21 years of policing experience to lead Strand’s visible policing unit.
“I’m here to fight crime, so I look forward to working with the community to do this,” the precinct’s new Vispol commander says.
Rulwa started her new role at the station on Saturday 14 February and has since not only talked the talk but walked the walk by maintaining high police visibility.
The 51-year-old has participated in the station’s Victim Empowerment Programme, joined the Khayelitsha Sub-district Community Policing Forum Super Friday patrols, and attended the Strand Community Policing Forum’s (CPF) first meeting of the year – all within her first two weeks in the position.
While for some this would be seen as an achievement, for her it represents the fulfilment of a lifelong dream that began in rural Eastern Cape.
Rulwa was born and raised in Tsomo in the Eastern Cape, an area she describes as small but beautiful, explaining that she had never seen a big town in her formative years. Growing up, she told her parents she would become a police official in Knysna – a bold declaration from someone who had never left the countryside and didn’t even know where Knysna was.
After matriculating in 1994, she moved to Cape Town to further her education. When finances derailed her higher education dreams, she worked as a server at a restaurant while obtaining her driving licence – a requirement for joining the police service.
This led her back to the Eastern Cape where she enrolled at the Bisho South African Police Service Academy for basic training. She was part of the last group of officers who completed training before the country’s transition to democracy, earning the cohort the nickname “the old law”.
“When I first started, I was excited to help and serve the community because I knew I had the ability to do so,” Rulwa recalls.
While serving at Mitchells Plain Police Station, she completed her Diploma in Policing at Tshwane University of Technology before being promoted to sergeant. Her first taste of Vispol command came at Strandfontein, followed by successful stints at Heidelberg and Harare police stations. “I want to serve the community on the frontline,” she explains.
With Rulwa’s appointment, the top structure of Strand Police Station is complete after Colonel Jacqui Johnson joined as station commander last November (“Polisie-hoof pak misdaad met hart”, DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 14 January)
“Having a Vispol commander is critical to achieving our goals, and I can already see the difference Lieutenent-Colonel Rulwa is making,” said Johnson.
For Rulwa, Strand presents nothing she hasn’t encountered at previous postings. She is prepared to tackle challenges with proven methods, including school outreaches which she employed in Heidelberg.
Her strategy focuses on maximising operational deployment across the precinct and strengthening partnerships with the CPF and external stakeholders to combat crime. “To the Strand community: I promise to keep working with you, and my door is always open. I am here to fight crime, so we need to work together.”
