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In an attempt to curtail increased crime, the South African Police Service (SAPS) recently announced that it will raise the recruitment age limit from 30 to 35 years for the 2024/2025 recruitment period. This in hopes of increasing the number of police officers patrolling the streets – a number which currently sits at around 187 000. An additional 10 000 trainees will be upskilled to supplement the current cohort.

This announcement by Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale in Mdantsane on 5 August during a National Career Expo is ideal as it provides a solution to more than just one issue. The SAPS has been criticised for its top-heavy command structure and low deployment of visible policing in the past, and officials are increasingly facing challenges due to their limited resources.

There have been other attempts to place more boots on the ground in the past. In 2021, for example, visible policing was allocated 51% of the total policing budget to, in part, boost officer numbers. But, public sector budget cuts and union concerns over promotions and wage increases circumvented this attempt.

The decision to extend the recruitment age cutoff point by five years is a positive step towards addressing chronic understaffing, one that we believe will make a substantial impact. With depleted resources already crippling the SAPS in their task agreement, creating more opportunities for trainees to enter the service will go a long way towards alleviating the demand and bridging the gap in the police-to-population ratio.

Currently, the ratio stands at one police officer for every 378 South Africans. In some high-crime areas, this ratio becomes skewed, putting more strain on police officers to manage their daily tasks and take pre-emptive steps to fight crime.

The SAPS will now be able to tap into a larger pool of potential candidates who have the skills, experience, and maturity to serve as police officers. This will also help to diversify the police service and reflect the demographics of our society. Moreover, it will provide an opportunity for unemployed and underemployed youth who have been struggling to find decent work in the current economic climate.

Addressing concerning crime levels in South Africa

With a crime index of 75.5, South Africa has the highest crime rate in Africa and is ranked as the fifth most dangerous country globally. The country also has the most dangerous areas, including Pretoria, with 82 index points, followed by Durban and Johannesburg, with 80.9 and 80.7 index points respectively. This is a clear indication that the police service is struggling to meet its responsibility to prevent, combat and investigate crime, and we must do everything in our power to change that.

In addition to resource limitations, budget and related resources within the SAPS are disproportionately being allocated to promotions instead of being funnelled into strategies and goal-oriented projects to prevent and combat crime.

In 2012, POPCRU called on the SAPS to address the top-heavy structure and promotion policy. Officers have been promoted within a few months of work, not based on skill, but rather political affiliation. This has created a situation where there are more desk-bound officers than active-duty officials working on maintaining law and order in the streets.

Internal discomposure should not spill over to the public, and raising the recruitment age limit will help to address the need for more officers in the field and increase vigilance against crime.

Although a step in the right direction, raising the recruitment age alone is not enough to ensure that we have a well-trained, well-equipped, and sufficiently motivated police service. We also need to address the issues of low salaries, poor working conditions, and inadequate resources that burden our police service. These issues affect the morale, performance, and professionalism of our members and may undermine public trust.

That is why POPCRU will continue to engage with and work alongside SAPS management and government to achieve better wages and benefits, safer and healthier workplaces, more vehicles and equipment, transparent recruitment and promotion processes, and greater accountability and oversight of the police. We will also continue to support our members in their efforts to uphold the rule of law, protect human rights, and serve our communities with dignity and respect.

Issued by President of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), Dr Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza