In December 2019, Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata, was appointed as the first female provincial Police Commissioner.
Matakata succeeds Khombinkosi Jula, who has taken over the reins at SAPS KwaZulu-Natal. The announcement was made by Police Minister Bheki Cele alongside National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Kehla Sithole.
On January 6th, 2020, Western Cape Premier Allan Winde and Minister for Community Safety, Albert Fritz, met with the new Provincial Police Commissioner to hand over a copy of the Western Cape Safety Plan. According to reports, Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Yolisa Matakata, stressed the importance of working with Premier Allan Winde and Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz to tackle crime in the province.
According to a statement released by the Western Cape Government, Premier Winde said: “We welcome Lieutenant General Matakata to the post and look forward to working together to make a difference for the citizens of this province. During the meeting, she outlined some of her key focus areas including the need for leadership, cohesion, ethics and accountability, a focus on the professionalism of the police, and capacitating the police service to improve delivery. These are issues that have plagued the police in the Western Cape and we are pleased that Lieutenant General Matakata has committed to giving them her attention.”
MEC Fritz said: “Lieutenant-General Matakata has a wealth of experience in crime intelligence, having served in the Hawks for 15 years. It is my hope that our offices will work together in good faith and in a coordinated way to improve the safety of residents in the province.”
