Chikunga extends well wishes to aspiring traffic officers

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has conveyed her well wishes to trainee officers, who will be embarking on the final selection process to train as traffic officers.

These officers are part of the national recruitment drive undertaken by the Road Traffic Management Corporation to reduce unemployment and create job opportunities for the youth, women and persons with disabilities

“We anticipate enrolling 600 trainee traffic officers to officially commence training on 1 June 2024. It is pleasing to note that about 40% of traffic officer recruits who are due to start training this year are females. Traffic law enforcement has historically been the domain of men,” the Minister said on Wednesday.

These trainees will enroll on a three-year traffic officer’s curriculum at a National Qualification Framework (NQF) level six, which is an equivalent of a national diploma. The NQF level six qualification was introduced in 2019 and the first cohort of 257 traffic officers trained on this curriculum graduated in 2023.

Addressing the trainee officers in Pretoria, the Minister explained that the training comprises compulsory knowledge modules (which is theory), practical modules, and work experience modules. Crime prevention forms an integral part of the training.

“This new qualification will go a long way towards the professionalisation of the road traffic law enforcement sector, ensuring respect, integrity, discipline, ethics and regaining public respect, as well as improving the ability of officers to enforce the law and reduce road traffic crashes.

“Traffic law enforcement training in our country has undergone a fundamental change to ensure that we produce well equipped officers who are able to effectively contribute to efforts to deal with the scourge of lawlessness which leads to the high number of crashes and fatalities on the roads.

“Poor ethical conduct has severely tainted the reputation of traffic law enforcement among road users, and the public in general. This also contributes largely to the lawlessness on the roads as many road users believe they can get away with transgressions through bribery and corruption,” Chikunga said.

She said she is certain that the recruitment process has been rigorous enough to uphold high ethical standards.

“All recruits, without exception, have undergone a pre-selection vetting process to check criminal records, verification of qualifications and checking biographical history to determine suitability for selection into the training programme.

“All the candidates will have to undergo medical assessment and only those who pass the assessment will be enrolled. After completing the course and on appointment as traffic officers, they must again be vetted in their first year of operation as officers and this must be repeated every five years to ensure that they remain on the straight and narrow. This is the only way to restore dignity and respect to our officers,” the Minister said.

The event took place at the newly upgraded Boekenhoutkloof Traffic Training Academy, which is set to serve as a Centre of Excellence in traffic training in South Africa, once construction of the second phase and third phase are completed.

“The accepted cohort of recruits will be the first ones to undertake training in these awe-inspiring premises when they officially open their doors in the next few weeks.

“Since 2019, training of our traffic officers was taking place at rented facilities while this 21st century academy was under construction. We commend the RTMC for their visionary insight in construction of these facilities as the outstanding home for traffic officer training in the country,” Chikunga said. – SAnews.gov.za