Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

A group of 168 members of the SA National Defence Force completed their police conversion training and joined the SA Police Service on Friday.

The volunteers were inducted into the SAPS at a passing out parade at Mankwe military base in North West.

They had completed a 12-week training course at the base.

"The re-deployment of SANDF members into the police force is a result of a joint venture between the military and the SAPS in order to address the shortage of police personnel," said the SANDF's Major-General F Robbertse.

Over the next three years over 7000 SANDF members would be re-deployed to the SAPS, Robbertse said.

"This co-operative venture will supply well-trained recruits into the protection and security division of the SAPS," said Assistant Police Commissioner B Luke at the parade.

The recruits were welcomed to their "new family and home" by Luke.

This was the second group of recruits to have been redeployed to the police. In 2004, a group of 47 volunteers completed the conversion training at the Thaba Tshwane military police school in Pretoria.

Both groups of recruits were to be responsible for the security of the Pan African Parliament in Midrand, the defence department said.

Minimum entry requirements for SANDF members considering redeployment are:

-- a standard eight or grade ten certificate;

-- not older than 40 years of age;

-- in good health;

-- a code eight driver's license; and

-- no criminal or departmental cases pending or recorded.

The applicants were screened by the SAPS, and a letter of appointment was being compiled based on the candidates' qualifications and experience.

The national police commissioner, Jackie Selebi, had indicated that by 2009 an additional 11,000 SAPS members would be needed to patrol South African's border, the department said.

"These additional members will primarily be from the protection and security division so the redeployment programme is vital to the success of our border patrol operations," Luke added.