The South African Police Service (SAPS) has defended the racial makeup of its latest cohort of recruits, saying the composition reflects the overall pool of applicants and the prescribed recruitment and selection process.
This comes after concerns were raised on social media suggesting that the current cohort of new police recruits consists exclusively of African applicants.
SAPS said it received 1,049,998 applications during the current recruitment process.
Of these, 1,079 applications were from the White race group, 3,047 from the Indian race group and 53,797 from the Coloured race group.
“The overwhelming majority were from the African race group,” SAPS said.
The police service said the figures reflected the applicant pool and were not the result of a decision to exclude applicants from any particular population group.
“SAPS acknowledges that the current figures indicate that African applicants are significantly more represented in the applicant pool,” the police service said.
“This naturally has an impact on the composition of the final cohort.”
Driver’s licences prioritised
SAPS said applicants with valid driver’s licences were prioritised because of operational requirements and the need for police officers to perform a range of policing duties.
Among applicants with valid driver’s licences who were prioritised, 556 were White, 1,722 were Indian, 11,743 were Coloured and 291,591 were African.
SAPS said all shortlisted candidates underwent psychometric and physical fitness assessments before being subjected to further suitability screening.
The process included interviews, medical assessments, drug testing, fingerprint verification, criminal record checks, reference checks and other prescribed assessments.
The final recruitment lists were assessed and recommended by Provincial Recruitment Boards, SAPS said.
The boards include community representatives, including members of Community Policing Forums, and are chaired by Provincial Commissioners or their representatives.
SAPS to target underrepresented communities
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie questioned the absence of Coloured, Indian and White recruits and said he would seek clarity on the numbers.
“This is wrong and totally unfair,” McKenzie said.
“Where are the Coloureds, Indians & Whites? I shall be asking for the correct numbers of new recruits in SAPS,” McKenzie wrote on Facebook.
SAPS said it continued to encourage greater participation from White, Indian and Coloured communities and had previously undertaken targeted recruitment and outreach initiatives aimed at these communities.
The police service said it would conduct further targeted outreach, including recruitment roadshows and community-based engagements, to reach communities currently underrepresented in the applicant pool.
According to SAPS, the initiatives are intended to take recruitment opportunities directly to communities and provide information about the requirements and selection process.
“The objective is not simply to recruit more people, but to attract suitable, competent and diverse candidates from across South Africa who are willing to serve and protect their communities,” SAPS said.
The service said the recruitment drive would also contribute to addressing unemployment while strengthening its policing capacity and human resources.
SAPS said it remained committed to fair, transparent and inclusive recruitment while maintaining standards of competence, fitness, integrity and suitability.
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