SAPS attracted 500,000 applicants in a recruitment drive, but have had to postpone their recruit training programme.
The SAPS have put their January 2021 recruit training programme on hold ahead of a management announcement. The programme was first postponed in July of 2020 during the nationwide lockdown.
In a statement, SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the recruitment process had progressed quite far when Covid-19 prevention measures such as social distancing, restrictions and or limitations of large gatherings made it impossible for training to take place. She said SAPS received in excess of half a million applications for recruitment.
“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 being infected with the Covid-19 virus,” said Athlenda.
The service had intended to train and subsequently enlist 7,000 youth within its ranks in a bid to capacitate and bolster crime-fighting initiatives at all 1,154 police stations and service points in South Africa.
Athlenda said that, “While the service is exploring and relooking at a number of ways of ensuring that service delivery and the capacitation of staffing levels continues at all service points, members of the public are therefore warned against several hoax messages containing job listing adverts.
“The public is hereby urged to contact their nearest police station and service point for clarity and information when in doubt. Alternatively, members of the public are advised to visit the SAPS website on www.saps.gov.za to check available vacancies under the careers section.”
