PRETORIA – On behalf of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, has extended his well wishes to an elite team consisting of ten members from the organization’s Special Task Force (STF) Unit who have been selected to take part in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) SWAT Challenge to be held in Dubai from 13 – 17 March 2022.

The Challenge which is designed to create cooperation between all Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams on a global level will be held at the Dubai SWAT Training Facility.  Members of the Special Task Force (STF) will form part of the more than forty teams from twenty-five countries that will compete within five Challenge categories that will test each team’s global tactical and weaponry ability and proficiency.

The members of the elite unit will depart from South African shores on Friday, 04 March 2022 to take part in this International competition which also aims to encourage benchmarking and the sharing of good practices focusing on techniques, tactical skills, mental focus and physical endurance when responding to high risk incidents.

“We wish the team all the best. We are confident that the team is well prepared to take on the challenges presented at the UAE SWAT Challenge. The members have put in the hard work and long hours in preparation for this competition. With their expertise, we are confident that the team will give their best but most importantly benchmark from other countries with a view of bringing ideas back home to share with other members within the specialized units”, said General Khehla Sitole.

The Special Task Force (STF) is a highly specialized unit within the SAPS whose members are responsible for only responding to high risk incidents which include hostage incidents, search and rescue missions, as well as providing Specialized Operational Support to other units within the SAPS.

Source: South African Police Service