Fresh from his February promotion to Colonel and appointment as detective commander at Kraaifontein Police Station, Col. Murphy Papa brings more than three decades of hard-earned experience to the crime-ridden Cape Town suburb.
In Kraaifontein, violent crime has become grimly routine, no longer making headlines but simply part of the daily reality. For this seasoned detective, it represents a formidable challenge.
His path here wasn’t exactly what his mother had in mind. “My mother’s wish was always for me to become a lawyer, but I chose instead to be a servant for our communities,” Papa reflects. And indeed his rise through the police ranks tells a story of someone who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
After matriculating at Bastiaanse Senior Secondary School, he dove headfirst into police work at Milnerton police station, cutting his teeth on everything from crime prevention shifts to the dangerous visible-gang unit’s PAGAD operations.
His breakthrough came as head of Milnerton’s Serious and Violent Crimes unit, where he had multiple successes in tackling serious investigations, one being the controversial Thabo Bester case.
Under his leadership, two of his detectives at Milnerton and another at Steenberg earned the prestigious title of Detective of the Year for the Western Cape, while his unit claimed runners-up honours as Group of the Year, having secured convictions against numerous offenders, among those sentenced to life imprisonment.
From there, he ascended to Lieutenant Colonel and took the helm as detective commander at Steenberg Police Station in 2014, where he spent years confronting the complex web of crime that plagues notorious gang territories like Lavender Hill, a position he held until his recent promotion this year.
Zero tolerance for corruption
Taking on Kraaifontein, however, is a different animal entirely, but Papa doesn’t sugarcoat the challenge ahead. “I acknowledge that Kraaifontein is huge and much more complex,” he says, recognizing that this high-crime station, home to two of the largest informal settlements in the area, will be testing.
READ ALSO: Kraaifontein named second most dangerous place in South Africa
The criminal landscape has evolved dramatically since his early days. “In the past, much of our work relied on traditional investigative methods. Currently, technology plays an integral role, we are dealing with organized criminals that are more sophisticated and advanced in crime syndicates working domestically and across the borders,” he says.
Even more concerning is the digital age’s impact on youth. “Social media is freely available to our youth and minors are exposed early in their growing years.”
Papa’s objective for Kraaifontein is to ensure that each member understands their individual roles and purpose, with discipline and punctuality being key priorities. “My leadership style is to elevate and uplift them,” he says.
But don’t mistake his nurturing approach for softness. On corruption, his stance is crystal clear, “Our code of conduct is clear and that is what I stand for commitment render an effective service with integrity and a responsible manner. Corruption has no place in policing and I will deal with it decisively.”
Community partnership priority
For Papa, police work isn’t just about catching bad guys, it’s about serving people, and his first priority is building bridges with the community. “One of my first concerns is to build a steadfast partnership with the community of Kraaifontein,” he says, reflecting on insights gained while afforded the opportunity to attend a Community Policing Seminar in China in 2013.
“I want to ensure the community that their safety and protection is at the core of everything we do, and I want them to support our members. I am up for the challenge, and I believe in the potential of my team,” he says.
At his core, he remains a policeman driven by an unwavering passion for solving serious crimes, motivated, as he puts it, “to bring closure to families” who have endured unimaginable loss.
