Women train for elite police unit
Edwin Tshivhidzo
23 February 2004
The South African Police Service has launched the first Special Task Force training course for women, paving the way for policewomen to participate in high-risk operations.
The course, which was launched at the SAPS Training College in Pretoria West this week, will train the elite police unit members to deal with hostage situations on land, sea and air, urban and rural terror situations, as well as to arrest dangerous criminals and intercept armed groups planning serious and violent crimes.
National Deputy Police Commissioner Mala Singh said this is the first time that policewomen will be trained as Special Task Force members since the inception of the unit in 1976.
"Women have a role to play in the police service", Singh said. "There is no reason to exclude them from taking part in high-risk operations."
Currently, 35 women have been recruited from various police units throughout the country.
The recruits will first undergo
a three-week preparation and conditioning phase to develop their physical fitness levels and emotional and psychological preparedness.
The trainees will also undergo an 86-hour endurance test, which entails strenuous physical and mental exercises during which they will be expected to survive without food, water or sleep.
Those who successfully complete the endurance test will go on to the next four phases of training: a weapons phase, basic rural training phase, basic urban training phase, and parachute training phase.
At the completion of their training, the members of the unit will be based in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.
Source: BuaNews
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