THURSDAY, 2.30PM
The moratorium on new police recruitment, in place since August 1994, has been suspended with immediate effect, Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi announced on Thursday.
Mufamadi said an additional 5 250 new police officers and civilians will be appointed over the next three months, at a cost of R150-million. Mufamadi said the lifting of the moratorium coincides with a new recruitment approach concentrating on staffing in priority policing areas.
The new recruiting policy will also involve stricter standards. “For example,” Mufamadi said, “all new recruits must have drivers’ licences. We will seek higher academic performers as well as specific skills. We will not recruit for the sake of bolstering numbers.” In addition, no applicant with a criminal record will be considered.
New recruitment will be conducted in phases, with the first step being to employ 2 520 civilians to do desk jobs and 2 730 police officers. “This advances the principle of civilianisation of non-policing functions within the SA Police Service to free up skilled police officers to concentrate on policing work,” Mufamadi said.