SAPS Ranks Structure and The Salaries They Go With
The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) was founded in 1995 to protect citizens and maintain peace and order. To carry out these duties effectively, police officers are given different ranks.The SAPS ranks structure or rank of a police officer determines who he is answerable to and who answers to him or her. At the time of employment, you can only be employed into the rank of a constable, sergeant, or warrant officer, after which you will have to work your way up by improving your qualification and being diligent in your duties.
To be employed in the South Africa Police Service, you have to be at least 25 years or below 40 years. By the time you become 50-55 years old, you should be considering retirement. Therefore to attain a high rank before retirement, you should try to get into the SAPS early and with a good educational qualification.
The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) rank structure is divided into three main subdivisions for more administrative efficiency. The SAPS divisions as currently constituted include Commissioned Officers (Senior Management), Commissioned Officers, and Non-commissioned Officers.
The Non-commissioned category of SAPS officers is the only category that is employable by the government. The other categories are attained according to the number of years put into police service.
The General and Colonel’s rank in the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) was introduced in 2010. The two new ranks were introduced to make the police a paramilitary force and structure the police ranking to look more like a military ranking system.The South African Police authorities may have had a good reason to do this, but the new ranks sparked many controversies.
One of the controversies was that black South Africans were not so comfortable with the idea. It was similar to the SAPS rank structure used during the apartheid era in South Africa.Most South Africans saw it as a plot to put the police under the military’s control.
In 2016, the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) rank structure was amended, and two additional ranks were once again created – Lieutenant and Major. These ranks were included to improve employment opportunities and became functional after the next promotion exercise.Aside from the two newly introduced ranks, some other rank’s designation was changed, and those affected were to translate to the new equivalent while those not affected maintained the status quo.
The newly introduced ranks include:
The salary of police officers in South Africa depends on their rank. Those at the top of the ranking structure are paid higher, while those on the lower cadre of the SAPS ranks structure are paid lower. However, on a general scale,South Africa’s government ensures that all police officers in South Africa are paid above the country’s minimum wage.On average, the salaries of South African police officers range from R142,997 to R354,504 per year.
A report on the South African Police Service (SAPS) shows the average salaries received by the various categories of the SAPS as follows:
In a bid to encourage police officers to perform their duties without perverting the law and justice, the government tries as much as possible to see that they are financially stable. As such, aside from their salaries, police officers also receive some allowances.In the past, police officers used to receive standard danger allowance and super danger allowance. However, these two allowances were eliminated and replaced with a non-pensionable standard policing allowance of R400 for all police officers.
Officers who perform special functions like explosive dog handlers, guarding high-class citizens, mortuary personnel, to mention a few, are entitled to an extra monthly allowance of R300.Whenever an officer is promoted, they are also entitled to a promotion allowance to encourage their effort and adjust to their new rank.
For effective organization, the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) is divided into six divisions.These different divisions are made up of police officers in different ranks. Each division is led by a high-ranking officer who is familiar with how things work in the division.
1. The Crime Combating and Investigation Division:As the name implies, this division is responsible for investigating crime and keeping criminal records. They investigate crimes like (but not limited to) kidnapping, robbery, and theft.
2. Visible Policing Division:The Visible Policing division is responsible for guarding high-class citizens. Members of the tactical unit (Special Taskforce) are also a part of this division.The unit also handles hostage situations and was responsible for protecting the 91 heads of state that visited South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s burial in 2013.
3. The Internal Stability Division:The Internal Stability division is responsible for maintaining peace and order. Members of this division also work with other divisions to fight crime.
4. Community Relations Division:This division is responsible for ensuring that human rights are maintained during interactions between police officers and the public.
5. Supporting Services Division:Members of the Supporting Services division are in charge of all administrative, financial, and legal issues.
6. Human Resource Management Division:The Human Resource Management division is responsible for police officers’ welfare. They organize training and also conduct recruitment.
