The metro recently offered 56 former military combatants an opportunity to enrol in alert after using the ATM Peace Corps programme.
The course, held at the Ekurhuleni Metro Police College, will prepare them to assist the EMPD in its work to maintain order in the communities.
The military veterans will, amongst others courses, receive training on by-laws, education and enforcement in metro communities.
The programme is aimed at curbing general disorder and lack of compliance with municipal and national laws that have been enacted to ensure an orderly and peaceful society.
The duties of Peace Corps officers include crime prevention through foot patrols, assisting in by-law education and enforcement, traffic control through point duty, including school points, assisting EMPD officers at gatherings and events, social crime prevention, as well as reporting service delivery issues to relevant metro departments
Addressing the veterans, member of the mayoral committee on community safety Clr Mthuthuzeli Siboza told the former combatants to take on their new duties with the utmost respect and dignity, by reflecting the values of a law enforcing organisation.
Siboza said: “While it is not the municipality’s competency to deal with the matters of liberation struggle fighters, the metro has seen it necessary to respond to the plight of former combatants in the area.”
One of the recruits, 47-year-old Nhlanhla Khanye, is set on rooting out the scourge of the nyaope drug in communities.
“We fought for freedom so that our young people may enjoy quality education and not for them to destroy their lives through the use of nyaope,” he said.
“We are determined to work with residents and rid our communities of the scourge.
”We are also very happy for this opportunity to serve our communities.”
There are more than 700 ex-combatants on the metro’s database.
Some will be placed at FET colleges in the metro, to train as artisans, from next month.
The metro’s demilitarisation office is working tirelessly to ensure that all former combatants are demilitarised and able to participate in the mainstream economy.
