The South African Policing union (SAPU) has called on the newly trained police constables to be vigilant and protect themselves against criminals within the parameters of the law.
The officers will be appended into the South African Police service (SAPS) after their pass out parade today across the country’s police academies.
Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia, together with his two Deputy Ministers, Dr Polly Boshielo and Cassel Mathale will welcome 3 558 newly trained constables at various police training academies across the country.
National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, will join Cachalia, who will preside over the largest parade featuring 2 036 graduates at the SAPS Academy in Tshwane.
“This Initiative forms part of the organization’s broader efforts to bolster crime fighting efforts at the grassroots level of policing,” read a statement from the SAPS.
Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, South African Policing Union’s spokesperson Lesiba Thobakgale said they welcome the new officers.
“We clearly do welcome, and we wish to congratulate them.
It really took sacrifice and endurance for them to find themselves on the parade ground across various police training academies throughout the country.
That adds to the force multiplier particularly as we are heading to the busy festive season,” said Thobakgale.
In addition, Thobakgalle said that the rampant crime that is currently bedevilling the country needs more men and women in blue to deal with it.
“Any addition when it comes to the members of the SAPS it is something that we clearly welcome, because we know that the rampant crime that is there in our country needs more boots on the ground.
For the longest time we have been saying that we need more members who gets to be employed to make sure that the constitutional mandate of the police which is to serve and protect the inhabitants of the republic and their properties is realized,” explained the spokesperson.
SAPU has called on newly trained constables to be vigilant and to always remember what they were taught to protect themselves against merciless criminals in the country.
“We just want to remind them that they’re not immune to the challenges faced by the police who are already on the ground.
Be it police killings, be it police attacks, they may find themselves confronted by the similar challenges, they must just use their training experiences to protect themselves, and to be able to protect civilians,” advised Thobakgale.
Furthermore, he cautioned the officers not to be found astray when executing their mandate.
“It is also important to remind them to be vigilant and make sure they remember their training, I mean they are fresh from police training academies.
But more over to do everything within the parameters of the law if they must protect themselves or protect others, when it comes to the use of force,” said Thobakgale.
The police union has also urged the newly trained officers not to fall victim to crime and contravention of the laws of the country that they would swear to defend all the time.
“As they will be standing on the parade ground, they will be taking oath which will come into effect as soon as they are released from the pass out parade when they are considered as fully fledged police officers.
Now that the oath will have to always guide them and remind them that as law enforcers, they can’t be swayed and be influenced to ignore any transgressions against the law,” remarked Thobakgale.
The passing out parades will take place simultaneously at various SAPS academies on Friday, across various police training academies.
