Three police trainees have been busted with drugs at the SAPS Academy in Philippi during an inspection on Saturday.
Three bank bags and nine smaller packets of dagga were seized during the raid.
The national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says although the charges were withdrawn against all the officers, they will be subjected to internal human resources procedures.
The trio appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Mathe says: “During a routine inspection at SAPS Philippi Academy training, SAPS found three trainees in possession of dagga.
“They were immediately detained and appeared in court where charges were withdrawn against them.
“Internal departmental processes are currently unfolding and are already at an advanced stage.
“We have no room and space for members/trainees who tarnish the image of the organisation and who do not conduct themselves in line with the SAPS code of conduct by upholding and enforcing the law.
“We do not condone such behaviour within our ranks and won’t allow it to manifest.”
She says when the trainees were enrolled into the nine-month basic training programme they entered into a contract with SAPS, and are thus fully aware of how they should conduct themselves.
She explains: “A zero-tolerance approach is being implemented with regard to unbecoming and criminal behaviour.
“Any trainee found not to be conforming to the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] will be dealt with according to prescripts in line SAPS 2016 disciplinary regulations.”
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) acting provincial secretary Xolile Marimani expressed his disappointment in the trainees.
He says: “We take such allegations seriously as there is a need to have trainees not defocused on their training tasks, and can only say that the relevant authorities should be given space to apply their minds in line with the stipulated rules set out to govern the period of training under which the trainees are bound by.”
This was the second arrest at the academy this year.
A training instructor was arrested on 21 April by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for allegedly raping a female trainee.
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said the 50-year-old cop allegedly raped a 30-year-old female trainee. The incident allegedly happened on 31 March, when the instructor called the trainee into his office at the Philippi Police Training Academy and sexually assaulted her.
Last year, five trainees were found in possession of drugs and were arrested. And in 2022 another trainee was busted with drugs.