Hartbeespoort police’s new detective commander, Lieutenant Colonel Gabaiphiwe Mafotsa, has a passion to create a safe environment for society’s most vulnerable, women and children, and this has inspired him to specialise in crimes against women and children.

Mafotsa, formerly the commander at the Brits Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, took over the detective unit in Hartbeespoort recently after Lieutenant Colonel Ezekiel Dikgang retired, and he believes in being actively involved in all cases.

During his period as commander at FCS, the unit received the police’s provincial Service Excellence Awards for the best FCS unit for two consecutive years, best commander and overall specialised unit.

“It is through a sense of responsibility towards one’s mandate, collective analysis of dynamics around a particular case and guidance through hands-on leadership that one manages to achieve the best performance,” he says.

The 49-year-old crime investigator was appointed in the South African Police Service as a constable on 1 May 1992 at Mmabatho police station in the then Bophuthatswana. In 1995, he joined Mothotlung police station and completed a crime investigation course, after which he worked as a general crime investigator. His passion for addressing crimes against women and children led him to the Brits FCS unit.

He is also a passionate ultra marathon athlete with a number of Comrades, Soweto and Om Die Dam marathons under his belt.