The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the North-West province joins its affiliate the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) in the province in welcoming the appointment of Lieutenant-General Arthur Peter Adams as the North-West Provincial Commissioner of the Soth African Police Service (SAPS). This appointment became effective on 01 August 2026.

As COSATU in the province we welcome the fact that the period of having an acting Provincial Commissioner has come to an end with this appointment. The newly appointed Provincial Commissioner is expected to ensure stability, accountability and transparency within the SAPS in the province.

As we welcome the appointment of Lieutenant-General Arthur Peter Adams as the Provincial Commissioner we equally call on him to ensure that the people in Brakspruit and the family of Ben Williams find justice. Ben Williams was brutally murdered by a white farmer at Brakspruit. We literally had to force the police to bring this matter to court. The matter was later struck off the roll under very suspicious circumstances.

COSATU calls for this matter to be reopened, and a new investigator appointed to the case. To that effect, the Federation, together with representatives from the Brakspruit community will request an urgent meeting with the newly appointed Provincial Police Commissioner on this matter.

In addition to the Ben Williams matter, we call on the Provincial Commissioner to stabilise the SAPS in the province by first, filling all vacant posts as they are all critical in maintaining law and order in the province.

The North-West province needs a police service that is motivated and ready to ensure that the people of the North-West province are always safe. Second, create a work environment which will encourage all police officers of all ranks to be motivated to do their work and combat crime and apprehend criminals without fear or favour.

Lastly, create a platform to engage with organised labour from time to time not only when it is requested by organised labour. This is important for workplace labour peace and conducive environment for productive work.

We wish the Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Arthur Peter Adams success in his new responsibilities. We are looking forward to interacting with him during some of our own programmes.

Issued by COSATU North West

For more information, please contact the COSATU North-West Provincial Secretary, Kabelo Kgoro on 067 410 4696