Saps recruitment compromises integrity, according to unions

Recruitment and training, including the selection process, continues to have a myriad challenges in the South African Police Service (Saps), according to policing unions.

In President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, he said 10 000 new police personnel will be recruited and trained.

Due to the Covid pandemic from 2020- 22, Saps had an effective loss of 11 178, which reduced from an establishment of 187 358 in 2020, to 182 126 in 2021, and 176 180 in 2022.

Plan

According to the Saps recruitment and training report, the initial plan was to recruit and train 5 000 recruits this year. Saps’ Major-General Lenny Govender said posts were advertised in June 2022, and 619 000 applications were received, and 438 628 applicants were subjected to the psychometric and integrity assessment.

A total of 30 191 (7%) fitted the profile and 25 008 were subjected to the fitness assessment, while 14 303 passed.

He said 13 084 applicants were recommended by the provincial recruitment boards and submitted to head office by provincial commissioners.

“It is planned that the 10 000 new trainees will be enlist[1]ed in April and commence with basic training. “These will be recruited primarily to increase capacity at the front-line services [police stations] and identified priority environments such as Public Order Policing, 10111 Centres, FCS Units, Crime Intelligence, Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management,” said Govender.

Union concerned

However, in its report to the portfolio committee on police, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s second deputy general secretary Mosadiwamaje Mokokong said the union was gravely concerned the recruitment and selection continued to be engulfed in challenges which, at times, compromised the integrity of the Saps.

She said for Saps to effectively execute its constitutional mandate, various human, financial and technological resources were required.

“We have identified a gap with regard to inconsistency on the selection criteria as each prov[1]ince implements a different criterion.

We then recommend the Saps should have centralised recruitment centres as per the previous practice. “The processes should be standardised to ensure consistency.

Strict monitoring of the system should also be introduced to curb elements of corruption in this process,” Mokokong said.

Certain trainees would pass medical assessment but found to be pregnant, while others had underlying medical conditions which disqualified them.

Best candidates

President of the Independent Policing Union of SA Bethuel Nkuna said only the best candidates were required.

Ipusa had observed how candidates were employed based on who they knew in the Saps, he said. “This kind of appointment is the most demoralising because members with expertise are overlooked.

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