Joburg metro police receive 65‚000 job applications

A staggering 65‚000 applications were received for 1‚500 jobs advertised by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department.

Safety MMC Michael Sun said on Wednesday that the response had been overwhelming but it was also indicative of the vast unemployment rate in the economic hub of the country.

The city recently embarked on a recruitment drive for additional officers to bolster its efforts to combat crime‚ enforce bylaws and manage traffic congestion.

A call went out for 1‚500 “brave men and women” to become protectors of city residents.

“At the time of closing the application process on 4 May 2017‚ we received a staggering 65‚000 applications‚” Sun said in a statement.

“Although this is good news for the department and affirms that we are on the right track‚ it is sadly also indicative of the vast unemployment rate in our city. It is for this reason that we are glad that we will not only enhance our police force‚ but that we are creating much needed jobs in the process.”

Johannesburg mayoral committee member for finance‚ professor Rabelani Dagada‚ writing in Business Day last month‚ warned that the credit rating downgrades by S&P and Fitch could trigger disinvestment from the city.

This‚ he wrote‚ would “have a negative impact on the labour market‚ exploding the unemployment rate of the city‚ which is already at 33%.”

Successful candidates for the positions at the JMPD will undergo a series of tests‚ including demonstrating their physical and mental fitness for the job before undergoing training.