Saps resumes training new recruits

The South African Police Service (Saps) has taken a decision to resume the 2019-20 Basic Police Learning Development Programme intake.

It said the decision came after Cabinet’s decision to move the country to adjusted alert level 1.

The training, which had been scheduled to start in March 2020, was suspended following the declaration of a national state of disaster and lockdown.

Saps spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said the recruitment process had already reached an advanced stage, with recruits having undergone various stages in the recruitment.

“[They had already undergone the] selection process and were only awaiting the final stage, where they were to be subjected to a medical assessment.”

Mathe said the basic training of new recruits involves extensive physical contact and the challenges experienced with the Covid restrictions that were in place “made it impossible for training to commence”.

Mathe said with the recommencement of the recruitment process underway, applicants who underwent all stages and were only awaiting the medical assessment would receive an automated SMS from the Saps provincial recruitment offices, requesting them to report to a particular venue.

Here, she said, their fingerprints would be processed to determine their criminal status or previous convictions.

Applicants needed to take the following original documents, as well as three copies of each: ID card.

Driver’s licence (if applicable but not a necessity). National Senior Certificate.

NQF 6 qualification (if applicable/for stream 2 applicants).

For more information, applicants who had proceeded through the initial recruitment stages and were only waiting to be subjected to a medical assessment were advised to contact the recruitment office where they had submitted their initial application.

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