JOHANNESBURG, December 7 (ANA) – AgriSA on Wednesday welcomed the acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane’s announcement that all nine provinces may go ahead with the recruitment of reservists for the 2016/2017 financial year in accordance with operational requirements.
Two weeks ago, Phahlane urged members of the public in good standing to join the South African Police Services as reservists in a bid to make up for perilous manpower shortages.
The reservists would be expected to volunteer for 16 hours’ service per month and to undergo the prescribed training.
Phahlane said reservists would be used mainly in support of crime prevention operations at station level and to strengthen the capacity of the police during peak crime periods.
In a statement, chair of AgriSA’s rural safety committee Kobus Breytenbach said the implementation of the reservist system was a matter which his organisation had discussed with the police on an ongoing basis, even at the organisation’s recent congress.
“A well-functioning reservist system will contribute towards promoting the police’s ‘back to basics programme’ and supplement the police force in rural areas to give further momentum to the implementation of the Rural Safety Strategy,” Breytenbach said.
“We call on qualifying members of the farming community to use this opportunity and consider joining as a reservist and to apply at the nearest police station for this purpose.”
Breytenbach said the reservist dispensation and sector policing must be supported by the farming community in an attempt to expand policing at local level.
He said further support can be provided by establishing farm watches in an observation and information-gathering role.
“These approaches collectively can play a major role in support of more effective policing and the creation of safer rural areas,” Breytenbach said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
