The Gauteng provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, has hung up his boots as he bows out of service after 39 years of uninterrupted, loyal, and dedicated service.

Wednesday, January 31, marked the official retirement of Lieutenant General Mawela from the SAPS after serving for nearly four decades.

Mawela joined the SAPS as a student constable in 1984, where he started serving in the Mamelodi policing precinct and worked his way up in the ranks to the level of Lieutenant General in 2011.

He has served in a number of senior roles and capacities, including that of Deputy Area Commissioner of Pretoria, Component Head: Border Policing, Divisional Commissioner: Operational Response Services (ORS), and NatJOINTS Chairperson.

For the past five years, Mawela has served as a Provincial Commissioner on a five-year contract, and his term of office comes to an end today.

The national commissioner of the South African police service, General Fannie Masemola, praised Mawela for being a great operator and the epitome of a servant leader.

General Masemola says Mawela has accomplished a lot during his illustrious career by fostering strong relations with communities and various key stakeholders in the fight against crime, which ultimately gave birth to his brainchild, “O KAE MOLAO.”.

O KAE MOLAO saw Gauteng police officers embark on high-density operations to trace wanted suspects, confiscate illegal goods, and recover illegal and stolen vehicles and firearms. This ultimately birthed Operation Shanela.

General Masemola added that Mawela has left the organization richer as his legacy will be used by future police generations.

“This is a commander who has left an indelible footprint as an operator in all units, stations, and components he has led. A true operator and a man of action, to him, it didn’t matter where he was deployed; he served the people of South Africa for the past four decades with sheer diligence and commitment. It has been an honor to serve alongside you. We will miss him and wish him well in his retirement. Thank you to his family for allowing him to serve, added Gen. Masemola.

General Masemola further indicated that the SAPS has already embarked on a recruitment process to fill the vacancy of Gauteng Provincial Commissioner.