Pretoria - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has urged the latest batch of police recruits to serve the South African Police Serve with passion and commitment, while bearing in mind that the safety of the country's citizens rested in their hands.
Welcoming 1 845 recruits at the SAPS College in Pretoria, and 4 993 countrywide, Mthethwa said only the highest levels of excellence, discipline and integrity were expected from the recruits.
"The entire nation will be looking to you for their safety. The expectations will be no less. Without doubt, the challenges will be massive. Now more than before, the nation will in the coming years rely on you in fighting crime.
"You will be the shields of the nation. The gauntlet has been thrown before you. Rise to the occasion and dare not fail," he added.
The recruits were joining the SAPS at a crucial time, when the fight against crime was in full swing, and they were expected to make a meaningful contribution to crime fighting initiatives, Mthethwa noted.
The minister said he was encouraged by the number of women who had signed up to join the SAPS. Of the 1 845 recruits in Pretoria, 891 were female.
"This ratio represents an almost 50-50 percent gender parity, which is line with government's call to ensure that women are not only empowered but also given the same kind of training and job opportunities as their male counterparts," he added.
National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele reminded the recruits that they were now part of an organisation that was constitutionally obligated to serve and protect the citizens of South Africa.
He stressed that there was no place for ill discipline or criminal elements in the SAPS.
"The minister, deputy minister and I will not tolerate corruption, ill discipline or criminal behaviour on the part of any police member. There is no place for tsotsi cops in the SAPS and we are rooting the rotten elements out diligently," Cele warned.
