South African Police Service. Photo from Gallo Images. Brenton Geach

• The 2021 training of new SAPS recruits has been halted due to Covid-19 restrictions.
• About 7 000 recruits were expected to join the police service this year.
• SAPS received more than 500 000 applications, but also warned against fake recruitment adverts.

About 7 000 new SAPS recruits have not reported to academies because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Police management is expected to announce when training will begin.

About 7 000 unemployed young people, recruited from 1 154 police stations, were expected to have joined police training in January.

Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said the recruitment process was at an advanced stage.

Mathe said recruits were expected to undergo rigorous training to determine their eligibility to serve as police officers.  

Mathe said it was impossible for training to begin due to Covid-19 challenges, such as social distancing, and restrictions and/or limitations of large gatherings.  

“The basic training of new recruits involves extensive physical contact and, with the current Covid-19 restrictions in place, it will not be possible in the current climate to subject new recruits to a basic training curriculum without increasing the risk of exposing them to the virus. 

“… communication pertaining to the recruitment process was addressed in March and July 2020, where it was announced that the SAPS 2020 police trainee intake was suspended until further notice,” said Mathe.

READ: Covid-19: Recruitment of police trainees grinds to a halt

“Re-registered and prospective applicants for the SAPS Basic Police Learning Development Programme are urged to exercise patience during these challenging times. Applicants are encouraged to keep in contact with their relevant recruitment offices to enquire on any further pronouncements,” Mathe said.

Mathe added that SAPS had received in excess of half a million applications and it would not have been possible to inform each applicant individually about the decision to suspend the process.

“While SAPS is exploring and relooking at a number of ways of ensuring that service delivery and the capacitation of staffing levels continue at all service points, members of the public are warned against several hoax messages containing job listing adverts.  

“Members of the public and potential employment seekers are urged to be extra vigilant and not fall prey to any scam of this nature. It should also be noted that employment at SAPS is not for sale,” Mathe said.