The South African Police Services in Gauteng bid farewell to provincial commissioner General Elias Mawela after 39 years of uninterrupted service. Mawela officially hung his boots today. The national commissioner of SAPS General Fannie Masemola wished Mawela well on his retirement. 

FROM THE 80s

Mawela is said to have joined the SAPS as a student constable in 1984 where he started serving in the Mamelodi policing precinct. He worked his way up the ranks and in 2011, he became a Lieutenant General. "He has served in a number of senior roles and capacities including that of deputy area commissioner of Pretoria, component head: border policing, divisional commissioner: Operational Response Services (ORS) and Natjoints chairperson. For the past five years, he served as a provincial commissioner on a five-year contract and his term of office comes to an end today," said General Masemola. Masemola praised Mawela for being a great operator and an epitome of a servant leader. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

He said Mawela has accomplished a lot during his illustrious career by creating strong relations with communities and various key stakeholders in the fight against crime which ultimately gave birth to his brainchild O kae molao, which saw Gauteng police officers embark on high density operations to trace wanted suspects, confiscate illegal goods and recover illegal and stolen vehicles and firearms. This ultimately gave birth to Operation Shanela. 

AN ASSET TO THE SERVICE

General Masemola said Mawela has left the organisation richer as his legacy will be used by future police generations. "This is a commander who has left an indelible footprint as an operator in all units, stations and components he has led. A true operator, a man of action, to him it didn't matter where he was deployed to, he served the people of South Africa for the past four decades with sheer diligence and commitment. We will miss him and wish him well in his retirement. Thank you to his family for allowing him to serve. From the men and women in blue, we salute you for your unwavering commitment," said Masemola. SAPS has already embarked on a recruitment process to fill the vacancy of Gauteng commissioner.