Johannesburg - SAPS have begun implementing extra measures to ensure the well-being of trainees stationed at the Hammanskraal police academy amid mounting fears of the spread of the cholera outbreak in the community.
As fear continues to grip the community of Hammanskraal amid the growing death toll since the outbreak of cholera, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola visited the academy along with a delegation of senior management to assess the impact and implement measures to ensure the trainees’ safety.
The delegation included the Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, the Acting Deputy National Commissioner for Support Services, the Divisional Commissioner for Human Resource Development, as well as senior officers from health and wellness.
The academy currently accommodates around 469 police trainees who are undergoing detective training programmes.
Police added that last week, 71 trainees underwent tests for cholera conducted by health officials from the Department of Health, with only three testing positive and only one requiring hospitalisation for further treatment.
While the academy said it was continuing to monitor the situation for other infections, the management had installed a water purification system in the interim for the benefit of the trainees.
In addition to the water system, the Acting Commissioner for Support Services, Lieutenant General Lineo Ntshiea, confirmed that the Polmed medical scheme, together with the Metropolitan Health Risk Manager, would visit the academy during the week to conduct a thorough health assessment.
Masemola assured the academy community that as an immediate solution, the police would provide bottled water to everyone while looking at long-term measures to augment the capacity of the water purification system.
“We are treating what is happening in this area as very serious, and this visit demonstrates our commitment to look after the well-being of all our members, including trainees.”
The Star