Pretoria -Today a total of 4500 aspiring police candidates have reported to ten (10) academies around the country to undergo a final selection phase known as “grooming camps” before they can be considered for recruitment in the South African Police Service.
The South African Police Service has undertaken to follow a stringent recruitment process to ensure that the best candidates are selected to serve as policemen and women.
This process began in December 2014 when 3800 posts were advertised nationally. To enhance the marketing of these posts, police management from Head Office and all the provinces embarked on intensive community imbizos. As a result of the marketing drives over 200 000 applications were received for these posts compared to just 58496 applications received for the first recruitment process of this nature.
Qualifying applicants who met the basic enlistment requirements were subjected to psychometric and physical fitness assessments and 4500 applicants were chosen from the 200 000 to undergo the grooming camps from today, 15 March to 27 March 2015. Other criteria used to select the 4500 applicants were amongst other things, post-school qualifications (National Diploma/Degree), matric results (merit pass/normal pass/better symbols, etc), applicants in possession of drivers licence and gender.
While there is a need to fill all 3800 allocated posts, SAPS management has undertaken to not compromise on quality to satisfy quantity. These chosen applicants will be subjected to the following activities at the grooming camps and only those who satisfy the criteria will be enlisted.
• Fitness assessments;
• Drill;
• Interviews;
• Integrity assessment;
• Medical assessment;
• Professional conduct;
• Patriotism;
• Ethics
The applicants have been divided to attend the following academies:
| Academy | Total |
| All Saints | 200 |
| Bisho | 170 |
| Bishop Lavis | 540 |
| Chatsworth | 180 |
| Graaff-Reinet | 170 |
| Mthatha | 216 |
| Oudtshoorn | 450 |
| Ulundi | 144 |
| Philippi | 640 |
| Tshwane | 1800 |
| TOTAL | 4510 |
An individual score sheet will be kept for all applicants, which will be used to determine their suitability to be selected to start their formal training as police officials. The SAPS’s formal Basic Training for Police Trainees remains at 24 months after being revised from 12 to 24 months. For the first 10 months, trainees will be based at the academies and the next 12 months they will be based at a police station receiving on-the-job training/field training with the help of a mentor. They will then be based in the college for the final two months before they are actually enlisted.
This way of recruitment will contribute to the zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and deliver the calibre of police official who will serve the people of this country with dignity and pride. This will also ensure that we meet the goal of the National Development Plan by professionalising the SAPS. The revised strategy will also go a long way towards eliminating problems such as nepotism and corruption.
The SAPS Top Management would like to convey its sincere appreciation to all the communities that have played such a critical role in this recruitment process.
Media enquiries: Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale – 082 781 8863
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAPoliceService
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAPoliceService
Website: www.saps.gov.za