SAPS Management conveyed their appreciation to the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing, Major General Andries Swart, during his retirement function at the Eastern Cape SAPS Provincial Headquarters on Friday, 16 October.
Swart was honoured for the critical role he played in hoisting the SAPS’s flag high during his 40 years of loyal and uninterrupted service with the South African Police Service.
He started as a Constable after his basic training, and went up the ladder to the rank hierarchy with the SAPS until he was promoted to the rank of Major General, with which he leaves the Service to his retirement.
The Major General is known, in different environments in which he worked, as a straight forward, loyal and consistent disciplinarian, who worked tirelessly to ensure enhanced service delivery to the communities of this country, especially in the Eastern Cape. Dedication and hard work are also highlighted as his attributes.
Swart pursued his career in the South African Police Service as follows:
- 1980: Constable
- 1982: Sergeant
- 1984: Warrant Officer
- 1985: Lieutenant
- 1989: Captain
- 1992: Major
- 1994: Lieutenant Colonel
- 1995: Colonel
- 2000: Brigadier
- 2015: Major General
Different stakeholders glorified Swart for the role he played in the Eastern Cape. They applauded his unwavering and consistent leadership in his time as a Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga characterized Swart as a committed, disciplined and loyal member of the service who is passionate about policing and knows what it is about. She further praised him for his hard work and using his authority wisely and with respect. She also commended him for the role he played in the establishment and implementation of Traditional Policing Model in the Eastern Cape.
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe described Swart as a strong, committed and hard-working member of the service, he never disappointed her in execution of duties.
In his reply speech, Swart presented different experiences he encountered in the SAPS, and further indicated that being the member of the service was a wonderful, but challenging experience. He utilized the platform to extend his gratitude to every member he worked with in his journey with the SAPS, irrespective of the level. He further explained how his family supported him throughout.
The SAPS family in the Eastern Cape had mixed feelings, as they wished him well in his retirement, but equally saddened by the departure of a manager of Swart’s calibre.
