Super Cop Gets Top Award For Hard Work And Dedication!

Photo Credit: City of Joburg

A widower and father of two has dedicated his Officer of the Year Award to his late wife. “It’s for all the late nights at work.”

Johannesburg, South Africa – Despite receiving a brand-spanking new VW hatchback and three coveted awards, Gerald Nxumalo, the reigning JMPD Officer of the Year, is mostly grateful for the recognition that comes with the accolade.

“I am happy for the acknowledgement, it validates what I do on a daily,” says Nxumalo, crowned recently at the Public Safety awards.

The celebrated officer, known to his peers as ‘General’ or ‘Super Cop’, received the honour after what he says have been 14 “intensive” years in uniform.

He served for three years as an undercover police officer, another three as a member of the Moroka Trio Task Team, and a further three with the Johannesburg Flying Squad, before moving to Region B, where he is currently stationed.

A widower and father of two, Officer Nxumalo has dedicated his Officer of the Year Award to his late wife, “It’s for all the late nights at work.” At one point, she complained to me ‘what are we getting for your dedication to work because there was no change in our lives?’” he says.

Nxumalo’s dedication didn’t go unnoticed. He also won the regional officer of the year award. He boasts over 250 arrests to his name, probably a Public Safety record.

He says the JMPD award is credit for his work mainly in 2014 when he arrested a dangerous criminal, who was only convicted in September last year. Nxumalo was off duty when three taxi drivers in pursuit of a suspect flagged him down. They followed the suspect to a house in Zone 2 Meadowlands, Soweto, where Nxumalo effected an arrest.

“The suspect was about to hand over his gun to me when the three taxi drivers started wrestling him for the firearm. The suspect turned out to be a police officer who had been moonlighting as a hit man for taxi squads,” he explains.

The firearm was linked, through ballistic tests, to eight murders in the taxi industry, all of which occurred in KwaZulu-Natal. He was sentenced to six life terms and Nxumalo received a commendation from the Pietermaritzburg High Court for his hard work.

“I always go above and beyond the call of duty. If you don’t love what you do, you’ll always suffer from a migraine each time you need to come to work, so you have to give it 100% or more,” he explains.

The City of Joburg and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s (JMPD) have been focused on turning the tide on crime and recently released the January report of their crime fighting efforts.

“The brave JMPD officers put their lives on the line every day to ensure residents are safe and that the by-laws put in place for the benefit of all in Johannesburg are adhered to.

With 557 arrests in January, driving under the influence still remains a concern. Top arrests for the month included possession of a hijacked or stolen vehicle, possession of stolen goods and reckless and negligent driving. In region E, which includes Alexandra and Sandton, 117 arrests of this nature were made, significantly higher than the other regions.

Indeed, drivers on our freeways were issued with 2 062 citations. Even though this is down from 2 717 citation in December, with over 178 000 AARTO notices issued for speeding, JMPD is focusing efforts toward road safety through its monthly activities. These include operation nightlife, crime prevention roadblocks, and roadside checks. Combined, over 20 000 vehicles were checked in January, leading to 84 arrests, 209 discontinued vehicles, and over 13 000 citations issued.

Through our highly successful Buya Mthetho by-law enforcement operations, 90 illegal electricity connection and 129 illegal water connections were removed. Illegal connections seriously hamper the City’s ability to deliver quality services. The lost revenue recovered, which now exceeds over R1,3 billion, would have greatly assisted in upgrade infrastructure and proving services communities that have never had access before.

As part of the JMPD’s commitment to zero-tolerance toward corruption, 45 disciplinary cases are being investigated, and 17 employees have either been suspended or arrested. In order to police successfully, there can be no tolerance towards corruptions. Corruption cripples the entire department, and is therefore public enemy number one.

The JMPD has been compiling these monthly statistics since September last year and it has become a tool of reflection for officers as well as a way of informing residents.

Though policing remains a provincial and national competency, per the Constitution, within its limited mandate, the City’s JMPD is working hard to increase the levels of safety within our communities.

Alongside this, we will continue work with our law enforcement authorities to see to it that where arrests are made by JMPD, these cases are not only investigated but also properly prosecuted by law enforcement authorities.”

Residents can report illegal activities to the following numbers: