There’s a new sheriff in town, and people are hoping policing in the crime-ravaged OR Tambo district will now be jacked up.
Against a background of mass shootings with unlawful, high-calibre firearms, rampant rape and stock theft, and extortionists terrorising the community, the appointment of Major-General Katishi Norman Modishana as the new OR Tambo district commissioner has been announced.
Modishana is a decorated policeman who has worked as a provincial head in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga, heading specialised units including the National Intervention Unit and the Tactical Response Team, among others.
Modishana and his deputy, Brigadier Vukile Jackson Ntuli, who has been the Komani station commander since April, have been appointed from November 1.
They said they were excited about their new responsibilities, saying they believed working with the community would assist in fighting crime.
Modishana said: “We need to partner with every stakeholder who has the willingness to ensure the safety and security of the community and to fight crime.
“I know there is a challenge in terms of crime, it is everywhere in the country.
“We must always ensure that people feel safe. No person must live in fear.
“Policing a rural area is a challenge of its own including [a lack of] infrastructure.
“Some of the villages are not accessible by road in vehicles and villages are far apart from each other.
“However, there will be a closer working relationship between the SAPS and the community, traditional leaders, municipalities and government departments.
“If we as police can be closer to stakeholders including CPFs, and see every police station with an active CPF, effective police relations can make it easier to deal with crime.”
Modishana and Ntuli bring with them a wealth of experience, each having more than 37 years’ experience.
Modishana has an LLB from Unisa, a BTech degree in Policing, and a National Diploma in Police Administration, and has also held managerial positions in different provinces.
He is the third OR Tambo district commissioner after Major-General Mhlangenkqaba David Kanuka was appointed on October 1 2019.
Kanuka’s appointment led to the SAPS’s alignment with a new district governance model.
Modishana, who hails from Limpopo, has most recently been the Garden Route district commissioner based in George in the Western Cape since July 1 2022.
He began his new job on November 4 after SAPS management cross-transferred the then-district commissioner Major-General Pumzile Cetyana.
Modishana began his police career as a constable in 1987.
Brigadier Vukile Ntandane, who was the second in command in the OR Tambo district during the time of Cetyana, has been transferred to be Komani police station to replace Ntuli.
Police management believes the shake-up of both districts will enhance service delivery in both areas.
Both Modishana and Ntuli have worked in the Mthatha area before.
Modishana has served at the Public Order Policing (POP) unit, National Intervention Unit (NIU), Soweto Crime Combating Unit, Johannesburg Central, Pretoria Central, Cape Town Bishop Lavis, and many more.
He does not believe in a one-man show but in collective ideas and the help of external stakeholders.
Addressing station commanders on his first day of work, he said: “There must be no way that you can criss-cross the OR Tambo district without coming across any roadblocks or vehicle checkpoints.”
In 2004, Modishana had a four-month stint in Mthatha, establishing the National Intervention Unit.
The same year, he was promoted to senior superintendent (now full colonel) and then transferred to Cape Town to head the NIU.
In 2011, Modishana was promoted to brigadier and became the Western Cape provincial operational response services (ORS) head, responsible for Public Order Policing, NIU, Special Task Force, Border Police, Tactical Response Team and the Air Wing.
Ntuli is familiar with the Eastern Cape, having worked at Mount Road in Gqeberha, Mqanduli, Elliotdale, Tsolo, Qumbu, Ngcobo, Mthatha, KwaBhaca, and many other areas before becoming the Komani police station commander.
He agreed with Modishana that community mobilisation was key.
“We need to reinforce some of the programmes that are there and intensify strategies for the good of the district, working with stakeholders, like traditional leaders and even NGOs.”
He started his career in 1987 and was promoted to brigadier in 2024.
“Having spent many years working here, the major challenges are stock theft, rape, murder and newly emerging GBV as well as extortion and mass shootings.
“We will work together to strengthen our police stations.
“If we have stronger police stations and active CPFs, it means we have arms that will reach into communities more quickly and effectively.”
Including the new Majola police station, Modishana now oversees 19 police stations.
Modishana and Ntuli will be seen not only in their offices on the 18th floor of the PRD Building, the tallest building in Mthatha, but also in the most remote areas of the district.
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