City of Tshwane Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen sign a memorandum photo by Dimakatso Modipa
Unemployed law enforcement graduates are threatening to camp at SAPS college and TMPD if they are not hired by the departments.
Unemployed law enforcement graduates held a peaceful march to Tshwane House and Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday morning to deliver a memorandum of demand.
They were joined by ARA Africa Restoration Alliance political party.
Some unemployed graduates were wearing their graduation gown, holding CV’s in their hands and placards.
Their protest is against the authorities’ decision to make those with a Grade 12 level of education, instead of qualified graduates in law enforcement.
More than 200 graduates, who qualified in DNA testing, pathology, traffic, and public policing, took part in the march.
They started to deliver their first memorandum in Tshwane House where MMC for Community safety Grandi Theunissen received it.
They then process to Union Buildings, where they meet director presidential hotline and public liaison in the presidency Melisizwe Bleki received the memorandum.
One of the organiser of the protest Mashudu Phalandwa, told Tshwane Talks that we want government to give us first preference as graduates when they are hiring officers in law enforcement. This thing of prioritising Grade 12’s when there are graduates with degrees and diplomas sitting at home is not fair.
“So we are saying enough is enough, we want to be hired or if our qualification is not recognized they must phase it out from the universities.
Why they are wasting taxpayers money trying to educate us with NAFSA and when they know they won’t recognize our qualifications,” said Mashudu Phalandwa.
Some of the unemployed graduates marching for jobs in Tshwane photo by Dimakatso Modipa
Phalandwa said it has come to our attention that while we prioritise hiring individuals with a Grade 12 qualification, there is a significant pool of talent among law enforcement graduates that remains untapped. Law enforcement graduates undergo rigorous training programs that cover various aspects of policing, criminal justice, and public safety. Their education and training provide them with a solid foundation to effectively serve and protect our communities.
“We demand that we revise our recruitment policies to give due recognition to law enforcement graduates and the amount of unemployment graduates is disheartening,” said Phalandwa speaking in a brokenheart.
“The government can’t continue hiring people with just matric while we stay at home with our hard earned post matric qualifications, this may also encourage young matriculates who wish to join the force to further their studies, increasing the number of intellects in the country,” she said.
Phalandwa said 80% of the recruitment should be law enforcement graduates and the employment contacts of the remaining 20% (matriculates) should stipulate that they should further their studies within the first 5 years of employment.
“We demand the government to change the age requirements, from 18 years to 40 because many law enforcement graduates are unable to apply due to the age restriction.
It is imperative that graduates participating in internships are absorbed into relevant,” lamented Phalandwa.
Director presidential hotline and public liaison in the presidency Melisizwe Bleki sign a memorandum photo by Dimakatso Modipa
“We are waiting for the post and if the government won’t hire the graduates, we will sleep at the college in TMPD and SAPS until we are hired,” she said.
“If a teacher is a teacher with a teaching degree, let a police man with a policing in qualification.
We are here to say enough is enough and down with nepotism and also the issues of age restriction.
“If we are not getting a response from now within 7 days the next intact we are going to make sure we camp at SAPS college and TMPD and that will be our next step and we did it in 2019 and we did not get a response and now we are doing it again and we are gonna sleep,” said ARA Gauteng premier Reverend Dingane Sithole.
“To be a law enforcement officer is not a job is a calling, if you are a law enforcement officer you are a public servant.
You need to have an outstanding record of discipline and respect, being able to work with collogues and public and there is no room for ill-discipline and there is no room for people who takes bribes,” said City of Tshwane Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen after receiving a memorandum and sign it.
“I have taken notes of your memorandum I will discuss it with the top management of the TMPD, it is not my responsibility to appoint people and I’m here to do a political oversight, and there is a management team in the TMPD who do the appointment and draft the polices but there is no restriction in terms of over qualification,” said Theunissen.
“Your memo has been received and ours as the presidency is to receive this and get the department to response because this are government specific demand and will put pressure from the department to response,” said director presidential hotline and public liaison in the presidency Melisizwe Bleki.