Along with over 9200 new police officers having completed the Basic Police Learning Development Programme training, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has strengthened its ranks with the appointment of two senior managers.

This, according to National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, is part of the organisation’s plans to increase capacity, enhance accountability and bring about stability within the respective provinces and divisions.

The National Commissioner, during a press briefing on Friday, announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Edith Mavundla as the new Divisional Commissioner for Technology Management Service and Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo as the Divisional Commissioner for Crime Intelligence.

Mavundla and Khumalo, whose appointments are effective from 1 December 2022, both have extensive experience in the SAPS.

Meanwhile, the men and women in blue will be welcoming 9 248 of 10 000 newly trained police officers within its ranks next week, after they successfully completed the nine-month Basic Police Learning Development Programme.

The group was selected from 523 666 applicants and will stand on parade in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng on 13 December 2022.

“These police officers will be deployed to all 1156 police stations across the country with a focus on the top 30 crime weight stations in each province,” said General Masemola.

A total of 4 000 of these newly trained Constables will be deployed to the Public Order Police (POP) unit to bolster the organisation’s efforts in crowd control management in instances such as violent protests and related opportunistic crime.

The injection of new blood within the SAPS ranks “is seen as a force multiplier which will enhance police visibility during and beyond the festive period”.

“The first 495 newly trained police officers consisting of Law, Criminology and BSC graduates have already been deployed to various units after completing their training in September this year. The remaining 556 trainees are still undergoing training following the commencement of their 9-month program in October this year,” said the General.

In an effort to bolster Forensic Sciences Laboratories (FSL), the SAPS has recently reached an advanced stage in recruiting 60 forensic analysts.

The analysts are expected to be deployed to capacitate and bolster the police’s efforts to reduce the DNA backlog and maintain prescribed standards in relation to DNA processing.

Source: South African Government News Agency