Thousands of South Africans applying to join the police face weeks of silence, left in the dark about why their applications are rejected.

For someone hoping to become a police officer, submitting an application is only the first step. Next may come weeks of waiting, uncertainty about whether the application has progressed, and no clear explanation for why it was unsuccessful.

Ian Cameron, chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, said SAPS must do more than attract applicants. It must also address how it handles applications, why it rejects candidates and whether everyone gets a fair opportunity.

His comments come as SAPS is recruiting 5 500 new police trainees to help address severe nationwide personnel shortages, where the police-to-population ratio continues to stretch existing officers. Less than 24 hours after the latest recruitment drive opened on Wednesday (October 21), the service reported 29 013 completed applications.

“We receive many complaints from people who apply and simply never receive an answer. They describe being denied a fair opportunity to enter the service,” Cameron said.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Amanda van Wyk provided statements outlining the service’s recruitment figures and recent promotions. However, the statements did not directly address complaints that applicants received no feedback or Cameron’s concerns about language skills and fairness in career progression.

Who gets a chance to serve?

SAPS said 156 131 people had registered profiles on its online recruitment portal since it opened at midnight. Of these, 78 473 completed profile verification, 53 716 started applications and 29 013 successfully submitted them.

The service urged prospective applicants to be patient because of high portal traffic and encouraged eligible candidates to apply before the November 13 deadline.

For many applicants, submitting the form is the start of a wait to find out whether they will be given a chance to join the police.

Cameron said SAPS needed to explain what happened after applications were submitted, including who progressed to the next stage and why others were unsuccessful.

“Those complaints cannot be brushed aside by saying too few people apply. Recruitment challenges may exist in particular communities, but applications are being submitted. SAPS must explain what happens to them, who progresses and why others are unsuccessful,” he said.

The debate also concerns the racial composition of the police service. A written parliamentary response confirmed SAPS’s employment equity targets of 80.93% black, 8.88% coloured, 7.70% white and 2.49% Indian.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia reportedly said the under-representation of white, coloured and Indian people was not the result of marginalisation, but rather because too few people from these groups applied to become police officers. He also said some applicants did not meet the minimum requirements.

Figures from the previous recruitment window show that all four groups applied, although their proportions differed substantially.

Of the 1 049 998 applications received, 992 075 (94.48%) were from black applicants, 53 797 (5.12%) from coloured applicants, 3 047 (0.29%) from Indian applicants and 1 079 (0.10%) from white applicants.

Applications from white, coloured and Indian candidates together accounted for about 5.5% of the total.

In a statement issued on September 9, SAPS said the composition of a cohort of recruits reflected the overall applicant pool and the outcome of its prescribed recruitment and selection processes, rather than a decision to exclude any population group.

Cameron said the service could not continue pointing to the same imbalance without explaining what it had done to address it.

“This problem has been developing for many years,” he said. “SAPS has not taken demographic imbalances, or the barriers faced by people from under-represented communities, seriously enough.”

He called for sustained outreach programmes, recruitment partnerships and development opportunities to attract suitable candidates from under-represented communities.

Language matters on the frontline

For communities seeking help from the police, communication can be as important as an officer’s training. Cameron said language skills should be considered when officers are recruited, trained and deployed.

“Where a member cannot speak, read or write Afrikaans but is expected to provide frontline services in a predominantly Afrikaans-speaking community, that creates a practical service-delivery problem,” he said.

“The same principle applies to other languages. Language competence must inform recruitment, training and deployment, regardless of the member’s race.”

Promotion and the future of policing

The concerns do not end once an applicant becomes an officer. Cameron also questioned whether serving members had a fair chance to develop their careers and move into more senior positions.

He alleged that SAPS promotion policies and their implementation favoured certain demographic groups, leaving some officers unsure whether their ability, experience and performance would be recognised.

For officers who feel that their prospects of advancement are limited, the uncertainty could affect whether they remain in the service. Cameron said this could undermine efforts to attract and retain experienced members.

SAPS announced on October 3 that 1 965 officers had been promoted to higher ranks, effective October 1. It described these as the first batch of about 3 000 promotions planned for the financial year, with a second batch expected by November 1, subject to the completion of quality assurance processes.

The announcement confirmed that promotions were taking place but did not address Cameron’s concerns about whether the process was fair across demographic groups.

Cameron said SAPS needed to rebuild confidence through fair access to opportunities, clear recruitment decisions and credible career paths.

“Standards must remain high, appointments must be based on competence and integrity and every suitable applicant must have a genuine opportunity to serve,” he said.

How to apply for SAPS training

The nationwide online recruitment drive closes on Friday, November 13.

SAPS said the process would seek to ‘identify suitably qualified young people from under-represented racial groups’. It said eligible South Africans under 35, irrespective of race or gender, could apply if they met the requirements.

Applicants must be older than 18 and younger than 35, with no criminal record or pending criminal cases. Candidates will undergo fitness, psychometric, and integrity testing; a medical evaluation; and an interview.

Graduates in law, policing, criminology, law enforcement, forensic investigation, and information technology may be considered for specialised positions in the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Detective and Forensic Services and Crime Intelligence.

Recruits with a relevant National Qualifications Framework Level 6 or higher qualification will complete six months of training at a SAPS academy. Those without such qualifications will undergo the standard nine-month programme.

SAPS will pay a monthly stipend of R5 000 during training.

“If you are disciplined, physically fit, committed to serving your community and determined to help build a safer South Africa, this could be your moment,” SAPS said in its recruitment announcement.

Applications are free and must be submitted through the official SAPS eRecruitment portal. The service has warned applicants that no trainee position is for sale.

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