“Dedicated, diligent and an extremely hard worker.” These are some of the words used to describe Col Muneeb Africa, head of Visible Policing (VisPol) at Hermanus Police Station.
Africa was promoted to the rank of colonel and will soon leave the area to take up his new post as VisPol commander at Bishop Lavis Police Station on the metropole’s Cape Flats.
“Colonel Africa was very involved with the neighbourhood watches and played a huge roll in building a good relationship between the police and the communities we serve,” said Hermanus station commander Col Luthando Nosilela. “His departure is a huge loss for us. Whoever applies for his post will have really big boots to fill. He is a dedicated and diligent cop who loves his work.”
Africa started his career in the police in 1992 as an assistant constable at Lansdowne Police Station in Cape Town. In 1994 he was stationed at Athlone Police Station as a court orderly. He was promoted to lance sergeant two years later.
Later he became shift commander at the station. From there he moved to Nyanga Police Station where he served as Joint Operations Command Centre (JOCC) commander from 2008 to 2011.
During his career Africa constantly studied further, completing courses in junior management, crowd control and domestic violence. He also completed a beginner’s Xhosa course, tactical response team training, a trainer course, relief commander course and a station management learnership programme.
Africa completed his National Diploma in Policing and is currently pursuing his BTech Degree in Policing. “I wanted to empower myself because I saw a future in the police service,” he explains. “I want to give back to my employers who saw the potential in me by being a disciplined and dedicated officer.
“The police instilled discipline in me, also pride in myself. When I put on my uniform I am filled with pride. My four sons (30, 23, 9 and 11 months) are also very proud of me and the work I do.”
Even though he is totally dedicated to his work, often working up to 18 hours to protect the community he serves, he says he never considered becoming a policeman when little. “I wanted to become an accountant because I love numbers and money,” he pointed out.
But fate had something else in store for him. One day, almost as a joke, he filled in forms to join the police.
“I have never regretted it,” he says. “It is the best thing that could have happened to me. The people I grew up with became drug addicts or landed up in jail.”
In 2014, after working in Gansbaai with the Tactical Response Team (TRT) as Operational Commander and Trainer, he applied for a post as VisPol commander at Gansbaai Police Station.
“Gansbaai wasn’t really on my radar, but the post and the promotion to the rank of lieutenant was a gift from the Almighty.”
Another promotion three years later, to the rank of lieutenant colonel, saw him move to Hermanus as the Vispol commander. One of the highlights of his career in the Overstrand, he says, was when he received the award for being the Best Vispol Commander in the Overberg Cluster. Africa says he is grateful for the promotion and happy about the fact that he will be able to spend more time with his wife Shiron and their baby Mu-Jayde.