Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile was appointed Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner on July 1, 2021. He took over from Major-General Jeremy Vearey who was removed from the service due to deep-rooted police corruption that Vearey himself claimed to be aware of. The swearing in was attended by senior police commanders and political leaders, making it clear that Gen. Patekile has the support he needs to clean house.
Gen. Patekile did not respond to questions about Vearey’s dismissal, but did say: “There is nothing that is not beyond approach in dealing with corruption.” And so it began. General Patekile has since led what some describe as a “crusade against corruption” in the ranks of the police. His anti-corruption unit has relentlessly pursued crooked cops, and continues getting results in the courts.
While nobody is suggesting one man can do it alone, the policies and practices instituted by Gen. Patekile have really started to pay off.
Here are just a few examples of the cleanup.
April 10, 2024: Four police officers arrested for robbing a Nigerian man of Rolex watches, gold bracelets, and emeralds worth over R20MM [1,129,270.40 USD]. The heist took place in Llandudno, Cape Town. Four police officers have been charged for aggravated robbery and are being held.
Four south African police officers arrested for robbing a Nigerian man of Rolex watches, gold bracelets, and emeralds worth over R20MM [1,129,270.40 USD]. The heist took place in Llandudno, Cape Town. The officers are being held awaiting a bail hearing. The officers — Jacobus Adriaan Groenewald, Bradley Dimitri Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, and Bathandwa Soldati — were part of Operation Restore, a trusted unit stationed across Cape Town to restore community faith in policing. According to local news, the officers were dressed in uniforms and even used state police vehicles in the robbery.
Spokesperson Justin Kumlehn said: “This shameful betrayal of trust not only violates the oath these officers took to serve and protect, but it also undermines the crucial relationship between the police and the communities they are sworn to safeguard.” Kumlehn continued, “Corruption among law enforcement officials breaks the bond of trust between the police and the community. These officers were entrusted with the responsibility of upholding the law and protecting citizens from harm, yet their alleged actions have brought dishonour to the badge.”
October 9, 2024: Eight Western Cape police officers, and one former police officer, were charged with extortion in the demand of protection money from two shops owned by Chinese nationals at a shopping mall in Milnerton.
May 20, 2025: Two city law enforcement officers were arrested in Cape Town on charges of kidnapping and extortion. The officers, attached to the metal theft unit, allegedly kidnapped two men in Khayelitsha and demanded a ransom for their release.
The list goes on and on, all credit to the Anti-Corruption Unit ultimately commanded by Gen. Patekile. Now, far be it from us to evaluate the performance of a police commander on the other side of the globe; however, one need only look at the results to know that something good is happening in South Africa.
This writer reached out to General Patekile to ask him if he would be interested in spending some time in the U.S. or Canada (especially Canada) to help root-out corrupt police there. We have yet to hear back.
Signal High will follow the General, and the reforming Republic of Africa, as an example is set for the world.
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