The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is gearing up for a momentous occasion as it prepares for the inauguration of Patrick Jaca as the new Chief of Police
The event is scheduled to take place at the Johannesburg Stadium on Thursday, marking a significant milestone for a department that has been without a chief for five years.
Speaking to IOL, Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, said Jaca has a task of making sure that the city's by-laws are fully implemented and followed without fail.
Johannesburg has faced a variety of crime challenges, including theft, robberies, car and building hijackings, as well as assaults and murders throughout the city center, suburbs, and townships.
Tshwaku said Jaca, who previously acted on the position, will have to provide a turnaround strategy for the JMPD as a whole, in terms of ensuring that all vacancies are filled, all law enforcement activities are executed effectively.
"This is a step forward in terms of stabilising the JMPD, it's been long. The acting arrangements are not fruitful, because you don't know if you will be able to finish the things you undertake. Jaca being permanent will ensure that the turnaround strategy of the department is implemented, issues of by-law enforcement and traffic fines being written off, because that is revenue going away."
IOL spoke to the residents of Johannesburg to get their thoughts on Jaca's appointment.
Lerato Moeketsi, 24 an electrical engineering student at the Central Johannesburg TVET College said: " Hopefully corruption will fall under his watch and supervision, because we know how police officers; people who should uphold the rule of law are always found in cases of corruption.
Musa Bhengu, 27, said: "Kuyafana (it does not make a difference) these people just get huge salaries for not doing anything."
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