The South African Police Service has welcomed over 1,900 new Constables graduates in Bisho, in the Eastern Cape.

#sapsGP [HAPPENING NOW] The excitement is mounting as the newly trained Constables who completed their basic training of the Introductory Police Development Learning Programme (IPDLP) at SAPS Academy in Moloto, are getting ready for their passing out parade. Families are out in… pic.twitter.com/vSc48pbUGd

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 15, 2025

Acting Police Minister, Professor Feroz Cachalia, and National Police Commissioner, Fanie Masemola, welcomed the new recruits during a parade.

Masemola says the new Constables will bolster their efforts towards fighting crime.

The graduates hold post matric qualifications, which include criminology, policing, law and various other fields of study. Sixty percent of them are women.

Addressing the new recruits, Masemola highlighted the importance police play in protecting communities against crime.

Masemola believes the new recruits will help crime fighting efforts. He has committed to providing all the necessary resources for them to perform their duties.

“We are quite sure we have got the right people that are there, well-trained out there to support the workforce that is already there. Yes, murders is a concern to us in all the provinces. It’s different in numbers. We have strategies. In this province, we had a problem of taxi violence I’m sure it’s quite some time we had,” adds Masemola.

Acting Police Minister, Prof Feroz Cachalia, has warned against corruption and misconduct within the South African Police Service (SAPS).

“Peer pressure is not a good defence to misconduct, corruption, abuse of power and negligence. These things erode public trust and endanger lives. This is also a message to all our political leaders. You have to embrace, stand your ground, have integrity and have your values,” says Prof. Cachalia.

The graduates, which consists of 312 males and 537 females, form part of the over 1,900 trainee constables that graduated across the country.

The new recruits like, Asaphiwa Mgolondela and Lucchretia Sithole say they are excited about their new responsibilities and ready to hit the ground running.

“The reason l chose to join the force is because l come from an environment that is riddled by crime and l thought of doing something else but you never know; only God writes the script,” says Mgolondela.

“I chose this career solely looking at the level of crime in South Africa and for the mere fact that there is a high unemployment rate. The SAPS has broad career paths,” says Sithole.

The graduates will be dispatched to top 30 police stations with high crime rates in the country. The stations are located in four provinces: Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng.

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