A close source in the upper echelons of the police says these reservists are from across five districts in the province, including Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Bojanala, and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, amongst others, and they want to be permanently employed by the police service.

This source who does not want to be disclosed for fear of victimisation, says some of the reservists have more than 15 years of experience at the job and for years have been working without stipends and any assurance of employment from the men and women in blue institution. The source says others have not been paid since 2002 by the police and have no medical insurance in case of need. The police are yet to comment on OFM News' detailed inquiry.

"These people have been [reservists] since they were 28 and some are now at the age of 50-60 years of age and have not been employed by the SAPS," the source adds.

The source explains to OFM News that it’s shocking that the SAPS has, to date, failed to absorb and employ them permanently. This despite an apparent letter from the police medical aid, congratulating officers for qualifying to join the medical aid.

The message read: “Dear Constable, congratulations on your appointment with the SAPS. As a SAPS member, you qualify to join Polmed, a world-class medical aid, for you and your family at a subsidised rate. With the current pandemic, there is no better time to join”.

Meanwhile, the South African Police Service (SAPS) recently announced that it will resume the organisation’s 2019/20 Basic Police Learning Development Programme (BLDP) intake.

Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, said the training which had been scheduled to commence in March 2020 was suspended following a declaration of a National State of Disaster and nationwide lockdown by the President of the Republic of South Africa (RSA).

“The recruitment process had already reached an advanced stage with recruits having undergone various stages in the recruitment and selection process and were only awaiting the final stage where they were to be subjected to a medical assessment.

The basic training of new recruits involves extensive physical contact and with the challenges experienced with the Covid-19 restrictions that were in place, this made it impossible for training to commence,” Mathe added.

OFM News