By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
Sergeant Bongani Mbalati is the new spokesperson for Alexandra Police. He takes the baton from Constable Simphiwe Mbatha.
For Mbalati, working with the media is not a nightmare as he started working closely with the fourth estate in his capacity as a musician, long time ago.
He has already promoted his music career several times in the national press, local and other media platforms. This tells you that engaging journalists is not new to him. He knows that journos are noisy.
Born in Tzaneen, Limpopo province, he joined the SAPS in January 2008 and has specialized in community policing since he began his police career.
He maintains very good relations with the community because of his long-term commitment as a sector manager.
In his role as sector manager since 2009, he has been involved in building a relationship of trust between the community and the police. He has worked hard to form block committees, CPF and CPF sub-forums in the community of Alex.
Mbalati described himself as a very approachable and well spoken.
Mbalati is also a poet in his own right. His poetry is also helping to send out and advocate issues of domestic violence (GBV and other social ills.
“Communities must work together with the police and also report crime as it happens because by reporting crime, it makes the job of the police easier.
“And that’s how the police gets to know where, how and when a particular crime is happening.
“Police and community members should work together at all times. Community members must register themselves as informers… it would help to reduce crime,” he said.