1a) The requirements for an appointment or promotion in the South African Police Service (SAPS) are uniform and are contained in Policies or National Instructions. No other specific educational qualifications are prescribed for an appointment as a station commander. In respect of the levels below the Senior Management Service, the requirements are, inter alia; at least a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) 4 (level of Grade 12) qualification, with four years service in a particular rank or a NQF 6 (Degree/Diploma) qualification with two years service in a particular rank. In respect of the Senior Management Service, the requirements are, inter alia; a NQF 6 qualification (Degree/Diploma) with at least three years experience in a particular rank.
1b) With regard to the mandatory on-the-job training which is offered to station commanders, there are mandatory station lectures that are to be conducted in the station environment, which are monitored at station, cluster and provincial level. In the Human Resource Development environment, as part of formal training, the Station Management Learning Programme is offered to station commanders, which is a formal station management training programme presented at SAPS Academy, Paarl. As part of this learning programme, learners also conduct practical service delivery inspections at selected stations, on which they are evaluated.
2a) The number of new Station Commanders appointed in each province for the past three financial years are as follows:
2014/2015 Financial Year
Eastern Cape: 2
Gauteng: 1
Limpopo: 3
Mpumalanga: 4
North West: 4
Northern Cape: 10
Western Cape: 5
KwaZulu-Natal: 10
Total: 39
2015/2016 Financial Year
Eastern Cape: 17
Free State: 13
Gauteng: 4
Limpopo: 1
Mpumalanga: 1
North West: 5
Western Cape: 3
KwaZulu-Natal: 8
Total: 52
2016/2017
Eastern Cape: 3
Free State: 4
Gauteng: 10
Limpopo: 2
Mpumalanga: 6
Northern Cape: 4
Western Cape: 7
KwaZulu-Natal: 1
Total: 37
2b) The table below contains the statistics, per year, of personnel declared competent and not yet competent, on the Station Management Learning Programme:
Year |
Number declared competent |
Number declared not yet competent |
2014/2015 |
99 |
4 |
2015/2016 |
70 |
2 |
2016/2017 |
62 |
0 |
2017/2018 |
0 |
0 |
TOTAL |
231 |
6 |
2c) No remedial training was presented for the six learners that were declared not yet competent, due to the fact that the learning programme was placed under review. The new Station Commissioners Learning Programme will be rolled out within the next six months and personnel who attended the former Station Management Learning Programme and were declared not yet competent will be called up, as a matter of priority to attend the new programme.
2d) The new Station Commanders were not dismissed from his or her position for failing to complete the Station Management Learning Programme.