Goodbye Patekile

Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, Western Cape provincial police commissioner since 2021, retires at the end of June 2026. His departure has drawn mixed reactions, with several civil society organisations describing it as a welcome opportunity for change in a province long plagued by high levels of violent crime.

Patekile assumed the role after serving in an acting capacity. During his nearly five-year tenure the province recorded persistently elevated rates of murder, attempted murder and gang-related violence, particularly on the Cape Flats. Civil groups including the Mitchells Plain United Residents Association and Fight Against Crime SA criticised what they saw as insufficient progress in curbing gun violence and organised crime, despite some operational successes such as arrests and firearm recoveries. They pointed to inadequate leadership depth within the South African Police Service, limited resources and the failure to fully implement the Western Cape government’s policing needs assessment by deploying officers to high-need areas.

The long shadow of an old conspiracy

Patekile was only supposed to be a placeholder as the older factions were rotated out. But even by the standards of our dismal regime, he has been a lackluster commander.

During Patekile’s acting period as Provincial Commissioner, he managed to avoid scandal for six months. But very soon he drew criticism for reinstating officers with disciplinary records.

The DA repeatedly chastised Patekile for overturning or softening dismissals for serious misconduct, including an officer caught with large quantities of tik and mandrax, plus unlawful possession of a SAPS patrol vehicle, who had his dismissal overturned and replaced with a one-month suspension. The DA claimed this formed a pattern of “disciplinary manipulation,” where dismissals existed only “on paper” while officers remained on duty. They alleged Patekile misled Parliament in written replies about disciplinary outcomes.

Multiple officers (including senior commanders and station commanders) have recenty been fingered for their involvement in the taxi industry, which is prohibited under Section 46 of the SAPS Act and National Instruction 18 of 2019 due to conflicts of interest. The DA (particularly Ian Cameron) submitted formal lists of implicated members and stations to Patekile in March 2025, with follow-ups. Patekile denied knowledge, Cameron countered with evidence proving prior knowledge and delays in action. This led to criminal charges against more than 20 officers, suspensions of over 23 members (including senior ones), and resignations of at least 10, most occurring in the past month.

SAPS figures cited by critics show 4,448 murders and 4,449 attempted murders in the Western Cape between April 2025 and March 2026. Some organisations noted that nearly 20,000 people were murdered in the province during Patekile’s time in office. These numbers reflect broader challenges: the Western Cape consistently features stations among the national top ten for recorded crime, with gang activity, drug trafficking and firearm proliferation driving much of the violence. South Africa’s overall murder rate remains among the world’s highest, with the Western Cape experiencing rates well above the national average in urban informal settlements.

Bowing out

Patekile has generally defended his record by pointing to a few sporadic operational successes (arrests, firearm recoveries) and inherited challenges, but few regard him positively.  No criminal charges have been laid against Patekile himself for his negligent leadership.

Patekile has described his exit as routine and expressed confidence that his successor would continue positive trends. He has publicly supported greater decentralisation of policing functions to municipal level. SAPS has confirmed that the position has been advertised and that the appointment process is under way. The Democratic Alliance, which governs the Western Cape, stressed the need for measurable improvements in safety outcomes rather than leadership changes alone.