Unemployed law enforcement graduates take to Tshwane streets demanding jobs

TSHWANE - Dozens of unemployed law enforcement graduates protested in the City of Tshwane on Thursday.

They were demanding jobs in the police service and the justice department. The graduates marched to the police department’s head office in the CBD.

The protestors said they have degrees in policing, criminology and forensic investigations and criminal justice and law enforcement.

Marching along the streets of Pretoria CBD, they were draped in their graduation gowns and flaunting copies of their diplomas and degrees.

Mashudu Phalanndwa, a University of South Africa (UNISA) policing graduate, said SAPS [South African Police Service] seemingly has no interest in hiring people qualified for the job.

“We are always watching on the news that they’ve got shortage of staff, shortage of detectives and cases are being dismissed because of the shortage of detectives. Yet we are here with degrees in criminology, forensic policing, law and we’re still not recognised.”

The group will not only hand over a memorandum of demands to the police department but will also submit their CVs. 

But SAPS' head of HR and administration, Lenny Govender, said that he would do his best to address the protestors' concerns.

"We are going to engage with you, to hear what you are issues and what is sitting in your memorandum so that we can take this forward. But it's not going to help if people are going to scream and shout, it’s not going to help me."

This is the fourth time that unemployed law enforcement graduates have protested for job opportunities this year alone.