Western Cape Provincial Commissioner General Thembisile Patekile, who announced he will retire at the end of June after nearly five years leading policing efforts in the province.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner General Thembisile Patekile has announced that he will officially retire at the end of June, bringing to an end nearly five years at the helm of policing in the province.
Patekile made the announcement on Thursday during the release of the Western Cape’s fourth quarter crime statistics in Cape Town, where senior police officials, provincial government leaders and community policing structures paid tribute to his leadership.
"Today marks the end of my term. I will be retiring soon at the end of June," Patekile said.
"It’s not a train smash. I am satisfied knowing who will take over because they will continue with the trajectory of the success."
Patekile was officially appointed as the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner in July 2021 after previously serving in an acting capacity.
Reflecting on his tenure, Patekile said he hoped the anti-organised crime strategies and partnerships established during his leadership would continue long after his departure.
"I would like to see convictions and I would like to see the continuation of what we started, continuing to ensure that the organised crime approach is the way to go," he said.
"I leave the Western Cape in the capable hands of men and women who have built all the gains we are seeing."
Patekile also thanked law enforcement agencies and policing structures across the province for their support during his tenure.
"I would like to see my grandchildren going to school with no fear of shootings. That’s the legacy I hope to leave," he said.
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner General Thembisile Patekile during the release of the province’s fourth quarter crime statistics in Cape Town on Thursday, where he announced that he would retire at the end of June.
Image: Bheki Radebe / Independent Media
Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais described their working relationship as one built through difficult conversations around the province’s crime challenges.
"The relationship wasn’t always the easiest and we never shied away from difficult conversations about the reality of violent crime in the Western Cape," Marais said.
"The scale of the challenge was immense. Thank you for taking calls and enduring criticism."
"On behalf of the Western Cape government, I wish you strength, peace and all the best in your retirement."
Chairperson of the Western Cape CPF Board Francina Lukas also thanked Patekile for his service to the province.
"We thank General Patekile for the hard work in the province and we wish him well on his retirement," Lukas said.