SAPS snubs ex-captain who responded to call for re-enlistment of former officers

With the state of crime intelligence in question, one would expect the offer of help from qualified and capable former South African Police Service (Saps) officials to be welcomed.

But a former Saps captain believes she is being ignored for no apparent reason. Saps statistics revealed that 6 083 people were murdered in the fourth quarter of the 2021-22 financial year.

This is the equivalent of 68 people a day – which is the highest number recorded over this period in the past five years.

Barbara Fourie Swanepoel was in the police service for 24 years and served as captain for 12 years in the crime intelligence division in Middleburg, Mpumalanga.

She resigned in 2012 after being head-hunted by a company which she worked at for three years before it closed down in 2016.

During the time, there was an advertisement for the re-enlistment of police officials. According to Swanepoel, since 2016, there were advertisements for former members of the Saps in the rank of constable, sergeant and warrant officer.

The majority of them at the time were not in the division she was stationed at but eventually found a post and applied for it with the hope of possible employment.

The advert stated: “The division – human resource development – would as far as possible be re-enlisted in the ranks they previously held in the service (but not above the rank of warrant officer), irrespective of the rank they held when leaving the Saps.”

Swanepoel said the advert meant successful candidates would mainly be deployed in the operational environment at station level and specialised environments, as well as within the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, or the Hawks.

“When I saw this, I knew this was the chance I am going to apply. I complied with all the criteria as set out in the advertisement, however, my application was not successful,” said Swanepoel.

She said she did not understand how her application was unsuccessful because, according to the advert, even if you left the service in higher ranks, and one met all criteria listed in the advertisement, you would be “re-enlisted but not above the rank of warrant officer”.

She then inquired why she was not successful and found out she was rejected because she was previously a commissioned officer.

“I was told I may not be re-enlisted because I was a commissioned officer, I am not eligible to be re-instated in the service.

“Someone else even said I interpreted the advertisement totally wrong. If the problem was being a commissioned officer and not allowed due to the fact of that then I told them, if push comes to shove, the minister [of police] can give the order to resign me of my position and I would return as warrant officer.”

With regards to commissioned officers, the Saps Act 68 of 1995, states: “The commission of a commissioned officer shall terminate and be deemed to be cancelled upon … direction by the minister in terms of subsection 5;

“Any commissioned officer who leaves the service because of his or her discharge, retirement or resignation, shall retain the commission and rank he or she held immediately prior to his or her discharge, retirement or resignation, unless the minister, on the recommendation of the national commissioner, otherwise directs.”

Swanepoel said she had sent numerous follow-up e-mails to no avail. “No one bothered to come back to me.”

She said such predicaments have even left other people who saw the chance to return to the Saps and be re-instated “disheartened”, as they have also missed the opportunity without any proper reasoning.

“I do not believe I was the only person who interpreted the advertisement as such. They need to be given the chance and I also want to be given the opportunity to return, it is only fair.

“I humbly request the minister, on recommendation of the national commissioner, to terminate my commission and deem it cancelled in order to be re-enlisted again as a member of the Saps.

“I come from a lineage of police officers. My target, goal and purpose is to protect and serve. It is my calling, which is why I have to go back,” she said.

The Saps did not respond to a request for comment.

– lungas@citizen.co.za