Police trainee plans to improve Cosmo City - Future constable ready to make a difference in his community

Future police officers, Lesedi Leketi from Cosmo City and Mandla Mazibuko in police training at Honeydew Police Station.

Cosmo City is known to be one of the few areas of Honeydew Police Station precincts, where crime is always high, but a young police hopeful, Lesedi Leketi aims to change that by improving safety in the community.

Captain Balan Muthan, Honeydew Police Station spokesperson, teaches the trainees.

Leketi (24), from Cosmo City, is among 24 police trainees placed at Honeydew Police Station to be taught the fundamentals of policing under the South African Police Services banner before being sent to the police academy in Pretoria.

The self-driven individual told Roodepoort Northsider that he studied a geography-related field, but always had a love of policing since he comes from a family of policemen.

“I grew up in a household where my father and uncle are policemen. I can’t say I had a passion for policing but now the passion for it is gradually developing because of the things I’ve been learning in this training,” he said.
He added that once appointed as a constable, he will apply all the knowledge he learnt and fight the negative stigma that police cannot spell and write properly.

Captain Balan Muthan with 24 police hopefuls at Honeydew Police Station.

Another excited candidate Mandla Mazibuko from Muldersdrift said he always wanted to be a policeman and enjoys the way Captain Balan Muthan, the station’s spokesperson, applies his knowledge when teaching police theory.

Muthan said the course is to prepare them for college. He highlighted that the students are taught discipline and how to conduct themselves when dealing with a suspect or victim.

Diving deep into a detective’s life COSMO CITY

 A Honeydew detective shares his investigative experiences…

Honeydew Police Station's Detective Sergeant Letsie Molapo.

HONEYDEW – Last year was a difficult year for many, but Honeydew Police Station’s Detective Sergeant Letsie Molapo managed to turn the stressful year around when he finally convicted a mysterious Zandpruit serial murderer and rapist.

Molapo, who normally investigates murder cases, said he was thrown into the deep end after he was tasked to investigate a mysterious case involving a man who terrorised Cosmo City and Zandspruit.

Detective Sergeant Letsie Molapo describes the mysterious case.

The serial rapist, Rudzani Donald Mbasigidi (33), also known as Supa, was charged with six counts of rape, one count of kidnapping, assault and murder and was sentenced to seven life sentences by the Gauteng High Court in October last year.

“From 2012 to 2013, Mbasigidi, originally from Limpopo, started terrorising Zandspruit and Cosmo City. He ambushed women, assaulted and raped them. He threatened to kill the women if they were able to recognise him,” said Molapo.

He added that the suspect remained a mystery because all his victims were unable to identify him.

“He ended the lives of those victims who fought back and who he suspected would report him.”

The most gruesome incident which pushed the detective to solve the case was when he was called to a scene in Motswako Plot 57, where a woman lay in a pool of blood.

“It was then when I knew I had to put an end to this rapist. After the intervention of other police units and help from the community, we managed to trace the suspect and link him through DNA tests,” Molapo explained, adding that they arrested Mbasigidi on 12 July 2014 after a long investigation.

The suspect had been on trial without bail since 2014 and was finally sentenced in October last year, according to Molapo.

The Limpopo-born officer said out of all the cases he investigated, this serial rapist case stood out because it taught him the importance of teamwork within the police and the importance of interaction with the community.

He said the most satisfying part of the conviction was that the terrorised communities were now able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the suspect would be behind bars for a long time.

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Man arrested after Cosmo City Mall robbery COSMO CITY – One suspect gets away and another arrested in connection with Cosmo City robbery.

Items found by Douglasdale Police officers after they arrested a man who was allegedly involved in a robbery at Cosmo City Mall.

Douglasdale police officers arrested a 25-year-old man on 30 January at about 11.45am in Hoogland who was suspected of a business robbery at Cosmo City Mall on 11 January.

The police followed up on leads and found the suspect and an accomplice in a blue Toyota Hilux parked on the corner of Riverbend Road and Epsom Avenue.

As police officers approached the vehicle, one suspect allegedly jumped out of the car and fired shots. The shooter managed to flee but the officers arrested the other suspect who was still in the vehicle.

Read Police warn of new crime trend

No one was injured.

“The 25-year-old suspect was in possession of an unlicensed 9mm firearm, a magazine and 15 live rounds,” said Douglasdale Police Station spokesperson, Captain Mpho Kgasoane.

“The police then went to the suspect’s home in Kya Sands informal settlement and recovered another unlicensed 9mm firearm and ammunition, seven cellphones and a chisel.”

The arrested suspect appeared in Randburg Magistrates’ Court on 2 February and police investigations are continuing.

Read Gauteng is heavyweight contributor of crime in country

“The police thank the community members for a good working relationship and appeal to anyone with information that might assist the investigation to phone 011 699 1333.”

Details: Douglasdale Police Station 011 699 1300.

What can community members do to reduce crime in our communities? Let us know what your thoughts are on the https://www.facebook.com/Cosmo-City Facebook page.