POPCRU concerned about absence of permanent heads for WC Crime Intelligence and Hawks divisions

CAPE TOWN - Police union POPCRU (Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union) has raised concerns about the absence of permanent heads for the Western Cape’s Crime Intelligence and Hawks divisions, warning that instability at the top is crippling intelligence-led policing in the province.

The position of provincial head of Crime Intelligence remains vacant after Major-General Mzwandile Tiyo was fired for serious misconduct earlier this year.

His dismissal relates to the alleged theft of his state-issued firearm, cell phones, laptop, and iPad under controversial circumstances.

Meanwhile, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, is also without a permanent leader in the province.

This is after Major-General Solomon Makgato was appointed as the acting divisional commissioner of Crime Intelligence nationally.

POPCRU provincial secretary Mluleki Mbhele said intelligence-led policing cannot function effectively in the absence of stable, experienced leadership.

"These leadership roles are not ceremonial; they are essential to the operational capacity and strategic focus required to combat crime effectively in one of the most complex policing environments in the country."
 
He added that the South African Police Service's (SAPS) indecision and lack of urgency was compromising community safety.

"With deeply entrenched gang violence, drug trafficking, and a disturbing prevalence of violent crime, it is no coincidence that many Western Cape police stations consistently rank among the top contributors to national crime statistics. Yet, despite this reality, we are forced to ask: Is policing in the Western Cape being taken seriously by those in power?"