Maroc - dailynews.co.za - News - 14/Aug 14:21

Lieutenant General Senthumule: Pioneering leadership in law enforcement

The South African Police Service (SAPS) celebrate its women, meet Lieutenant General HK Senthumule who has been in the law enforcement for 26 years and the first female Divisional Commissioner of Detective and Forensic Services.She was contributing significantly to various sectors including civilian intelligence, NICOC, SAPS crime intelligence, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) and the Hawks said the police statement by Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.Her career is marked by numerous firsts, setting a precedent for women in the field.Senthumule broke barriers as the first woman to hold several critical positions: Section Head of Counter Terrorism, Head of Counter and Security Intelligence, and Head of Organised Crime for both SAPS and (DPCI).Her journey in SAPS began in 2008 as head of counter terrorism, where she played a crucial role in ensuring the security of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, representing intelligence in a successful, incident-free event.In January 2012, she became head of labour relations and in 2014, she took on the role of component head of leadership, management and international development within the Division of Human Resource Development.By September 2016, she was leading organised crime investigations and on April 1, 2021, she was appointed as the first female Divisional Commissioner of Detective and Forensic Services, a position she continues to hold.In her current role, Senthumule oversees vital SAPS competencies including crime investigation services (general detectives), commercial crime investigations, serious violent crime investigations, organised crime investigations, family violence, child protection and sexual offences, criminal records and crime scene management, forensic science laboratories, and the quality management component.Her leadership has led to significant accomplishments, including two major DNA projects that reduced a historic backlog from 250,000 cases to fewer than 1,000.She also spearheaded the expansion of the Gqeberha Forensic Science Laboratory, an initiative unveiled by President Ramaphosa, and enhanced capacity across all forensic science laboratories in South Africa.Senthumule has overseen the destruction of over R1 billion worth of drugs from various provinces, including R10 million in Vredenburg, R200 million at Durban Harbour, and R65 million in Gqeberha.She also championed a national commissioner initiative to deliver vehicles to local criminal records centres, improving service delivery, especially for crime victims.Despite capacity challenges, under her guidance, over 70,000 convictions were secured, including 2,107 life sentences from 1,435 accused individuals.She has led successful organised crime investigation take gowns, resulting in arrests, drug seizures and the dismantling of clandestine laboratories.Senthumule was also appointed by then-DNC Policing Lt Gen Masemola to lead efforts to combat cash-in-transit heists.In 2013, she served as project manager for the first-ever international association of women police (IAWP) conference held in Africa, which was celebrated as the most successful in the organisation’s history.Additionally, she has held the position of Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (Sarpcco) chief, serving as the regional co-ordinator for Region 21 for the IAWP.From 2018 to 2021, she represented the healthcare needs of the entire SAPS membership on the POLMED Board.On the regional stage, Senthumule, as the director for CID in South Africa, is a key member of the Palestine Commercial Services (PCSC) in Southern African Development Community (SADC).She plays an instrumental role in shaping regional strategies to combat transnational organised crime and has participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral engagements.Currently, she co-chairs the trilateral planning cell between South Africa, Mozambique, and Tanzania, focused on countering narcotics destined for the region.Senthumule is also a sought-after speaker at various conferences, sharing her insights on effective government leadership, maintaining composure under pressure, navigating a male-dominated environment as a female leader, and addressing cybercrime challenges for women.IOL News