A reshuffle of Eastern Cape police top brass is on the cards as some senior police officials have already been given marching orders to move to other areas.While pressure mounts as transfer papers were delivered to some station and cluster commanders late last month, Eastern Cape’s top cop, Lieutenant-General Cynthia Binta, and her communications team, remain tight-lipped about the moves.
However several police officials have confirmed the reshuffle, the second of its kind in the Nelson Mandela Bay area in less than five years.
Last month Gelvandale police station commander Brigadier Lawrence Soekoe was transferred to Aliwal North, as a cluster commander.
Soekoe, who will be moving from Gelvandale police station later next week, was sent there in 2012 after the last major reshuffle.
His transfer comes about two months after Gelvandale police station constables, sergeants and warrant officers were handed transfer notices on October 16.
They have been sent to police stations such as Uitenhage, Wolwefontein and Jansenville.
Former provincial head of visible policing Brigadier Malibongwe Ntsabo has already taken over from Soekoe and will attempt to curb the ongoing gang wars.
Ntsabo, who was a colonel and station commander of Jeffreys Bay police station, was transferred and promoted to Joza police station in Grahamstown in 2014 where he was made head of visible policing.
Changes at the gang unit are also under way.
The specialist unit, founded under orders from the national police headquarters, falls under Mount Road cluster commander General Dawie Rabie.
Former gang unit leader and veteran detective Mike Grobler, who has won awards for his good detective work, was promoted from captain to major and transferred out of the gang unit.
Walmer police station’s Colonel Greg Botha, was moved to the Gelvandale police station to assist with the gang unit while a colonel from Gelvandale has been earmarked to move to Walmer police station.
Humansdorp policing cluster office – which oversees Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, Patensie and other police stations in the area – has been earmarked for a downgrade to lower ranking colonel post. The cluster is currently a brigadier post.
“In total, this means that station resources such as manpower and vehicles will have to be reallocated and reshuffled based on the police stations structuring,” one official said.
“Clusters and police stations are effectively downgraded or upgraded by this move. Some will by default have less resources while others will get more resources.”
Binta’s spokeswoman, Colonel Sibongile Soci, declined to comment, calling the move an “internal matter”.
Major shake-up of EC top cops, positions looms
While pressure mounts as transfer papers were delivered to some station and cluster commanders late last month, Eastern Cape’s top cop, Lieutenant-General Cynthia Binta, and her communications team, remain tight-lipped about the moves.
However several police officials have confirmed the reshuffle, the second of its kind in the Nelson Mandela Bay area in less than five years.
Last month Gelvandale police station commander Brigadier Lawrence Soekoe was transferred to Aliwal North, as a cluster commander.
Soekoe, who will be moving from Gelvandale police station later next week, was sent there in 2012 after the last major reshuffle.
His transfer comes about two months after Gelvandale police station constables, sergeants and warrant officers were handed transfer notices on October 16.
They have been sent to police stations such as Uitenhage, Wolwefontein and Jansenville.
Former provincial head of visible policing Brigadier Malibongwe Ntsabo has already taken over from Soekoe and will attempt to curb the ongoing gang wars.
Ntsabo, who was a colonel and station commander of Jeffreys Bay police station, was transferred and promoted to Joza police station in Grahamstown in 2014 where he was made head of visible policing.
Changes at the gang unit are also under way.
The specialist unit, founded under orders from the national police headquarters, falls under Mount Road cluster commander General Dawie Rabie.
Former gang unit leader and veteran detective Mike Grobler, who has won awards for his good detective work, was promoted from captain to major and transferred out of the gang unit.
Walmer police station’s Colonel Greg Botha, was moved to the Gelvandale police station to assist with the gang unit while a colonel from Gelvandale has been earmarked to move to Walmer police station.
Humansdorp policing cluster office – which oversees Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, Patensie and other police stations in the area – has been earmarked for a downgrade to lower ranking colonel post. The cluster is currently a brigadier post.
“In total, this means that station resources such as manpower and vehicles will have to be reallocated and reshuffled based on the police stations structuring,” one official said.
“Clusters and police stations are effectively downgraded or upgraded by this move. Some will by default have less resources while others will get more resources.”
Binta’s spokeswoman, Colonel Sibongile Soci, declined to comment, calling the move an “internal matter”.
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