Major General Jan Scheepers has officially been appointed as the new Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, taking over the province’s top policing post following the retirement of Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe.
The appointment was announced on Friday at the SAPS Provincial Headquarters in Polokwane by Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, accompanied by Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba and provincial leaders. The appointment forms part of the SAPS organisational renewal programme aimed at strengthening leadership and restoring public confidence in policing under the Police Reset Agenda.
Scheepers is no stranger to policing in Limpopo. Before assuming the province’s highest policing office, he served as Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing, a position he held for six years. Following the retirement of Hadebe at the end of June, he was appointed Acting Provincial Commissioner, overseeing crime prevention and operational policing across Limpopo.
A seasoned police officer with more than 35 years of service, Scheepers has built a reputation as a disciplined operational commander. Throughout his career, he has led numerous crime-fighting initiatives, including Operation Shanela, which has resulted in the arrest of hundreds of suspects involved in serious crimes ranging from murder and rape to armed robbery, illegal mining and drug-related offences.
He has also played a key role in strengthening partnerships between SAPS, community policing forums, municipalities, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to improve safety across the province.
Scheepers succeeds Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, who retired after an illustrious 40-year policing career. Hadebe made history as Limpopo’s first female Provincial Commissioner and earned widespread recognition for her leadership in maintaining Limpopo as one of the country’s safer provinces while strengthening specialised crime-fighting units and community policing initiatives.
The appointment comes at a time when SAPS is intensifying efforts to combat violent crime, organised criminal syndicates, stock theft, illegal mining, cross-border crime and gender-based violence across the province.
Speaking ahead of the appointments, SAPS said the new provincial commissioners are expected to provide ethical, accountable and professional leadership while driving the implementation of the Police Reset Agenda and improving service delivery to communities.
The appointment of Scheepers is expected to provide continuity in Limpopo, where he has already been leading major policing operations and coordinating law enforcement efforts throughout the province.
Communities across Limpopo will now be looking to the new Provincial Commissioner to build on recent crime-fighting successes while addressing persistent challenges, including violent crime, rural safety, organised crime and improving public confidence in the police service.
