Rhode University's Vice-channcellor in South Africa 🇿🇦, Dr. Sizwe Mabizela contributes about R300,000 of his salary to poor students. He calls it Salary Sacrifice and has been doing that since 2014.
SAPS Celebrates Hillbrow Constable's PhD Achievement
A 30-year-old Nkandla-born police officer, Constable (Dr) Lindokuhle Ngcobo, stationed at SAPS Hillbrow in Johannesburg, is drawing attention for his rare combination of academic excellence and frontline policing.
Serving in the Crime Prevention Unit, Dr Ngcobo is involved in monitoring crime hotspots, responding to robbery incidents, tracking suspects, and supporting intelligence-driven operations within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
His academic record is extensive, holding a PhD in Policy and Development Studies, a Master of Social Science in Public Policy, Honours in Public Policy, and a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
He completed his doctorate in 2025, focusing on the lived experiences of women with disabilities and policy responses during COVID-19 lockdown levels 5 to 3 in the City of Johannesburg.
Before joining the police service, he worked as a policy researcher at the Department of Community Safety, where he developed an interest in public safety and governance.
He later enrolled in the Basic Policing Development Learning Programme at the 3 SAI Kimberley Academy as part of Project 10 000’s 2022 intake, before formally joining SAPS.
Reflecting on his career shift, Ngcobo said policing offered him a direct way to engage with real-world social challenges such as inequality, gender-based violence, and youth crime, while contributing to safer communities.
He believes young officers with academic training can help modernise policing through research-driven approaches, digital innovation, and improved community engagement.
Dr Ngcobo has encouraged young people during Youth Month to consider careers in SAPS, saying it offers discipline, growth, and an opportunity to serve society meaningfully.