On Friday 03 October, Deputy Minister of Police, Polly Boshielo, addressed 778 newly qualified Constables at the Bhisho South African Police Service (SAPS) Academy, as the police held six parallel passing out parades across the country. These parades, along with a further two scheduled for 18 October, will introduce an additional 1 812 new officers to police service.
The parallel parades were held at Bishop Lavis Academy in the Western Cape, Mankwe Academy in the North West, Moloto Academy in Mpumalanga, and Graaff Reinet and Mthatha academies in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape received 274 new Constables to bolster its crime fighting initiatives.
During her address, Boitshelo said government remained committed to ensuring South Africa achieves the United Nations recommendation of one police officer for every 220 people. “As of 2023, the police-to-population ratio is 1:423, which means we still need to work harder to recruit more police officers,” she said.
The new Constables successfully completed the six-month introductory Police Development Learning Programme, with qualifications in the field of Law, Policing and Criminology.
The officers will be deployed to various police stations and specialised units, such as Public Order Police (POP), Visible Police (Vispol), and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, welcomed the additional officers saying, “the addition of the nearly 2 000 new recruits adds the necessary capacity and augments the ranks of the South African Police Service (SAPS). We are hopeful that the additional capacity will result in increased police visibility, which will act as a deterrent against crime in the country.”
Cameron also sought to highlight the inadequate police to population ratio in the country, which a statement referred to as remaining “stubbornly high.”
The statement noted that regardless of this challenge, “the new recruits will reduce this inadequacy and will ensure that people and businesses are protected and that the SAPS regains the needed strength and incentive to fight crime.”
“It is also important that this cohort brings into the force graduates with a minimum NQF level 6 qualification in disciplines such as forensic science, information technology and law, which will ensure that the SAPS are capacitated to deal with emerging crime trends,” noted Cameron’s statement.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of collaboration with communities, and the enhancement of intelligence-led policing and greater synergy within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, which aims to achieve the necessary prosecutions to establish a safer and more secure South Africa. Cameron further stressed the “importance of discipline and morality among this new cohort of police officers.”
“It is important that the new recruits remain free of corruption and work towards regaining the trust of communities. If any of the new recruits or any police officer in general is found to be involved in corrupt or any illegal activity, they must be prosecuted and removed from the service. A greater sense of service must be inherent in all the new recruits,” said Cameron.
The increase in the arrests of corrupt police officials was praised by Cameron, who believes it should serve as “a warning to the new recruits that they will face the same fate if they engage in corrupt and unethical activities.”
The Committee has reemphasised its advocacy for more resources to capacitate the SAPS to deliver on its mandate, especially the detective and intelligence services within the SAPS. “A capacitated SAPS is good for the safety and security of the country. It is also important to create a conducive environment to enable tourism and business to flourish,” Cameron emphasised.
Cameron called on the SAPS management to invest in police wellness to assist officers in coping with the stressful environment they will be operating in. “It is critical that wellness processes are enhanced for the new recruits to function optimally. As a committee, we have emphasised the need for stronger wellness programmes, as it will ensure a police service that is psychologically ready to fight crime,” said Cameron.