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The country's security agencies will be boosted with thousands of new recruits over the next year, cabinet's Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster announced on Thursday.

In a drive to reduce crime in South Africa by between seven percent and 10 percent by 2010, Safety and Security minister Charles Nqakula said 11,000 police cadets would be trained over the 2005/2006 financial year.

He said 4410 reported for basic training on July 11 and the remaining would start on January 6 next year.

The SA Police Service currently has 148,113 members, he said.

As cluster chairman, Nqakula said the ranks of correctional services would also be boosted with 6000 new officials over the next two years.

"Over 2050 new officials have thus far been recruited to beef up service delivery, especially at the Correctional Service Centres of Excellence, with 1024 currently undergoing training in Zonderwater and Kroonstad Training centres of the department," he said.

Correctional Services launched 36 Centres of Excellence around the country in August.

"They mark the beginning of a new paradigm of rehabilitation," Nqakula said.

State of the art systems including closed-circuit TV systems, turn-style gates with biometrics fingerprint readers and metal detectors have been integrated into the new detention facilities.

But with the view of rehabilitating offenders, Nqakula said tight security would be backed with behavioural intervention teams.

"The department is setting up intervention teams at the centres of excellence comprised of psychologists, social workers, teachers and chaplains to implement the new programme of correcting the offending behaviour of detainees..." he said.

The country's defence force will also be receiving fresh blood as it battles with an ageing soldier population.

Nqakula said January next year would see another 4434 recruits added to the 3927 who joined the SA National Defence Force in January this year.

"The largest intake in the SANDF's history occurred in January 2005 with 3927 young recruits who were enrolled on the basis of the Military Skills Development System which was launched in 2003," he said.

He said 2963 joined the army, 189 joined the airforce, 631 joined the navy and 144 reported for duty with the SA Military Health Services.