National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the challenge assesses the tactical acumen, mental focus and physical endurance of task force members, with the competition designed to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise and strengthen partnerships to make communities safe.
Mathe said the five days of intense and rigorous challenges took place in the UAE and ended with South Africa’s “taakies” coming in ninth place with 183 points. This was a vast improvement on last year when the unit was placed 13 after picking up 82 points, she said.
The component head responsible for specialised operations and the team’s overall commander, Maj-Gen Nonhlanhla Zulu, who was part of the competing team in Dubai, was proud of the team and their achievement.
“The members’ performance is commendable. In the world we are number nine, but on the African continent we are number one. This is a huge achievement. We beat Kenya and Libya. So yes, we are satisfied with the results, we hope to do better next time. We are happy to be back to continue to deal decisively with serious and violent crime in our country,” Zulu said.
The special task force is a highly specialised unit. Members are chosen through a gruelling selection process and those who make the grade only respond to high-risk incidents, which include hostage-taking cases, search and rescue missions, as well as providing specialised operational support to other units within the SAPS.
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SAPS special task force unit ranks among world's top 10 SWAT teams
Covert unit performs well at World SWAT challenge, rating tops in Africa
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The South African Police Service's special task force unit has been rated among the top ten SWAT teams in the world.
The prestigious ranking was achieved at an annual five-day event in Dubai in which 55 teams from law enforcement agencies around the world competed against each other in brutal challenges.
A SWAT team is a group of elite police marksmen specially trained in weapons and tactics — which include high-risk tasks such as hostage situations, extreme violence and other dangerous tasks that include special skills such as bomb disposal, diving, tracking and sharp shooting.
National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the challenge assesses the tactical acumen, mental focus and physical endurance of task force members, with the competition designed to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise and strengthen partnerships to make communities safe.
Mathe said the five days of intense and rigorous challenges took place in the UAE and ended with South Africa’s “taakies” coming in ninth place with 183 points. This was a vast improvement on last year when the unit was placed 13 after picking up 82 points, she said.
The component head responsible for specialised operations and the team’s overall commander, Maj-Gen Nonhlanhla Zulu, who was part of the competing team in Dubai, was proud of the team and their achievement.
“The members’ performance is commendable. In the world we are number nine, but on the African continent we are number one. This is a huge achievement. We beat Kenya and Libya. So yes, we are satisfied with the results, we hope to do better next time. We are happy to be back to continue to deal decisively with serious and violent crime in our country,” Zulu said.
The special task force is a highly specialised unit. Members are chosen through a gruelling selection process and those who make the grade only respond to high-risk incidents, which include hostage-taking cases, search and rescue missions, as well as providing specialised operational support to other units within the SAPS.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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