She was inspired to join the Local Police Service at the age of 20 just because she fell in love with the uniform. “It is the local police service uniform that attracted me. I like the uniform, above all, I have great determination to serve and protect my country and its people.
“Members of the local police work with the general public at the grass root level on a daily basis and that is exactly what I like - to be closer to the people I serve. One has to have a mission in life to fulfil.”
Mathumo has risen through the ranks to become the first female head of the Local Police Training College. She said it is not easy to head a patriarchal institution.
She said the hour has come for women to assume the role of making society a safe place. She never looks at herself as a woman heading a male dominated unit but just as a police officer leading other officers.
To Mathumo, the gender of a person does not have any bearing on leadership style. This is because leadership involves being an exemplary person who constantly consults with other stakeholders. She said police work such as effecting an arrest does not necessarily need force. She asserted good negotiating skills by the arresting officer often works. “It is the approach that matters - you need to be smart upstairs.”
She said that community policing is important in controlling crime, hence the involvement of the general public in combating crime should be promoted. The local police service alone is far from being adequate in effectively tackling crime and needs a helping hand from the public.
She said consultation is a pillar of success to ensure the patterns of productivity are not eroded. She added that a good leader is someone who is situational. A leader needs to be democratic or autocratic depending on the situation. She said her current position is challenging but she is coping well since she has been with the training department since 1989. Mathumo graduated with a BSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice, from the University of Portsmouth in 2002.
She intends to network with other law enforcement agencies to become more knowledgeable professionally. Mathumo comes from Kanye and is married with
three children.
