His 21 years of service, consisting of attending various regional and sector meetings, and dealing with many complaints and riots in the area, paid off this year for Johannesburg Metro Police Department Superintendent, Wandile Mrubta.
Mrubata received an accolade for Best Superintendent of the Year at the annual JMPD Heroes Awards held on 1 December, beating 60 other superintendents within the City of Johannesburg for this big prize.
The award-winning officer attributed the achievement to his dedication, time management and understanding of the community’s needs. “Dedicating myself, time management and communicating with the community and the staff really set me apart.”
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“The award was based on the activities I do as part of my duties; namely attending cluster, sector, Community Police Forum and general meetings. Being present at riots and marches, and also conducting joint operations and education campaigns [contributed to the reasons for being given the award],” he explained, adding that his duties include overseeing five wards during his day shifts and 18 wards at night within Region C.
After two decades in service, Mrubata admitted that he has had his fair share of challenges; however, he has managed to overcome many of the obstacles by adjusting himself to what’s required of him. “The challenge has always been working with different people and communities. Every five years a new Chief of Police is appointed and one has to adjust to his/ her plans and ideas to improve policing in the City,” he elaborated.
Mrubata is also behind a lot of service delivery and lawlessness issues in the area through attending to complaints and giving feedback at the various meetings he attends. “I always make sure that I’m honest with the community and provide a time-frame of three days to revert back to the complainant,” he said.
Following the awards, heaps of congratulatory messages have been pouring in from various organisational representatives who work closely with Mrubata.
The MMC for Economic Development and Ward 97 councillor, Leah Knott, praised Mrubata for giving his immediate attention to calls, at any time of the day. “He is a one of a kind individual who always answers our calls, no matter the time or whether he’s on duty or not. He is a truly genuine and dedicated officer who is valued in the community. No job is too small or difficult for him. He is a credit to the badge,” she said.
A colleague in the policing fraternity, Captain Karen Jacobs, the Sector 3 manager at Honeydew Police Station, thanked Mrubata for assisting the police in the fight against crime. “It is a privilege to work with such a dedicated and inspiring officer. His work speaks volumes about the kind of man he is – efficient, organised and results-oriented. We thank him for his willingness to always assist in the fight against crime,” she said.
Carolyn Lanzillotti, the Honeydew Sector 3 chairperson, described Mrubata as a man of high integrity and a strong work ethic. “He is always willing to help and do his best. We are very lucky to have him in our area,” she said.
Even the private emergency sector had something to say about Mrubata. Gary Jordaan of BCI Security said, “Thank you for service in Region C and always assisting where you can. The professionalism you display in your work and your dedication to the community is highly appreciated”.
Denver Ramnarain of QRS concluded by saying, “From an EMS perspective, he is an amazing officer with an outstanding work ethic; he is always there to assist us when we need him, and he is always able to back us up in times of crisis”.
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