Fitness struggles as 1 100 aspiring cops in track run

MBABANE – A large number of aspiring police officers struggled to complete the physical fitness exercises they were put through yesterday as part of the recruitment process.

As confirmed by Hhohho Regional Commissioner Simangele Motsa, about 1100 male and female aspirant police officers showed up at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground, for the second leg of the recruitment exercise; the first leg was a written test.

Part of yesterday’s physical fitness test interview was that males were expected to run four laps (1 600 metres) around the athletics track in a given time of six-and-a-half minutes.

RUNNING

Immediately after successfully completing the running exercise, they were then expected to perform a single round of 10 push-ups. Females, on the other hand, were required to run two laps (800 metres) on the athletics track within a time of four minutes and, immediately thereafter, perform eight push-ups.

The aspirants were made to participate in the running exercise in groups of 25 and a significant number of the participants struggled to complete the laps as they appeared to lack physical fitness. Some of the participants, particularly the females, could barely run for 200 metres without stopping or resorting to walking.

Among these were those that were even lapped by their competitors, meaning they were passed by the others competing in the same race who were ahead of them by a whole lap. Some could not bear being lapped and decided to drop out of the race, which meant they rendered themselves ineligible to continue to the next stage of the recruitment.

But there were those who appeared to have prepared themselves for the exercise as they displayed fitness and endurance in the running. These outran their competitors from the start until the end and they completed the laps well within the set time.

For those who struggled but managed to complete the laps within time, tiredness was evident as they were seen sprawled on the turf.

Others were heard coughing endlessly as held their chests while rolling on the grass.

Letters given to those who were part of yesterday’s exercise put it clearly that government would not be held responsible for any injuries or eventualities as a result of the test.

“You are therefore advised to see a qualified medical doctor who can testify that you are fit or otherwise to run as required and bring with you the medical certificate to that effect.

DECLARATION

You will also be required to fill up a declaration form on arrival before the test,” reads part of the letter.

The aspirants were also required to bring the letter and national identification document with them as an instrument of identification.

Failure to do so would have resulted in disqualification.

Despite their tiredness after completing the laps, the aspirants were without delay called to the other exercise of the day ± the push-ups.

Those who had failed to reach the push-ups stage were told to take their belongings and leave, which they were indeed seen doing dejectedly, while the successful ones were seen sitting in groups and engaged in casual talk amid laughter.

They sat there waiting for the final results and they watched fellow aspirants going through their paces

Motsa, the Regional Commissioner, said there was no specific number that was expected to make it to the next stage of the recruitment.

She said everyone who successfully completed the two exercises yesterday would qualify to move to the next stage.

“Eventually we will add up the marks, written and physical and also those of the education qualifications they hold. Every academic qualification earns a certain mark for the aspirant police officer. A diploma has its own mark and so does a degree and others. There will also be an oral exercise at some stage and this will also be graded according to the person’s responses to specific questions. We will then total all these scores and then shortlist the candidates from highest to lowest and that would be the end of the recruitment,” Motsa said.

She said they would then submit the list to the police headquarters where the shortlist will be discussed.