Deputy Police Minister, Maggie Sotyu, Free State Premier, Ace Magashule, newly appointed MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Sam Mashinini, and his predecessor, Butana Komphela, were among the guests.

Komphela said Mpembe served well under his tenure and he is certain the new commissioner, Jacob Tsumane, will do an excellent job in leading the police in the province.

“A country that has no police perishes quickly. But I’m 100% confident that a man who is going to be with this group, is a man that at all times when I speak a certain language, will support me wherever we are with regard to issues of crime and police. I’m sure he’s going to keep on speaking that language in defence of the police,” he said.

Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and the South African Policing Union (Sapu) also offered messages of support to Mpembe as he has a crime fighting career that spans over three decades.

Popcru said Mpembe is leaving at a time when he has “written a very rich history of taking the Free State to an unassailable position in terms of fighting crime and his successes with this regard will remain indelible.”

Sapu added that he had to fend off a lot of attacks from all sides during his tenure and what must have been his biggest challenge was seeing colleagues die in the line of duty.

OFM News