Durban – eThekwini Municipality said 200 new metro police recruits joined the city this month while a further 200 are expected to start early in 2023.
On Monday, the city said the new recruits would undergo a 10-week training programme.
The city said the new recruits joined the metro police on November 1.
“The new constables are part of the city’s long-standing commitment to increase police personnel to both improve the operational efficiencies at metro police and to ensure that the city is safer by beefing up police patrol,” it said.
Steve Middleton, the head of the Durban metro police, said the 200 new recruits had started the peace officer 10-week training programme.
“And we currently have approximately 500 trainees doing the 1-year fully fledged constable course, which will be completed by June 30, 2023. Employment created in a four-year tenure is 800, with another 200 approved,” he said.
Senior manager of the city’s human capital, Monty Naidoo, said that in October 2017 the then deputy city manager treasury, Krish Kumar had given a commitment for the filling of 800 Authorised Officer (AO) posts, to be filled over two financial years.
“Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 the filling of the other 400 AO posts were put on hold. The process for the remaining 400 commenced in November 2019. The new recruits started on November 1, 2022 and the remaining 200 will start early 2023,” he said.