Striving to keep the peace

KNYSNA | BITOU NEWS - A total of 40 Bitou and Knysna peace officer trainees graduated on Thursday and Friday, 9 and 10 November, as part of the Western Cape government's push to ensure the Western Cape becomes the safest province in the country.

Separate graduation ceremonies were held in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, as reported by KPH correspondent Chris van Gass and KPH journalist Zoë Fick.

Western Cape Minister of Community and Police Oversight safety Reagen Allen said the 40 peace officers and traffic wardens who graduated from their month-long training programme are part of a bigger picture for safety in the province.

His department has invested R3,9m in the Garden Route district for the peace officer programme.

This has led to 80 officers graduating from the programme – 20 in Bitou, 20 in Knysna, 17 in Hessequa, 13 in Mossel Bay and 10 in George.

"These continued investments will go a long way to achieving the goal of making the Western Cape the safest province in the country. I urge the communities across the district to assist and work with the officers, so that greater safety is obtained," said Allen.

On Thursday and Friday, Allen visited Plettenberg Bay and Knysna where he took the salute of the two groups of 20 officers each for Bitou and Knysna.

The 20 Knysna graduates with various municipal and law enforcement graduates. Photo: Nwabisa Pondoyi/Knysna Municipality

The 30-day programme provides individuals with the capability to understand and demonstrate the role and function of a peace officer and traffic warden. All graduates received a Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (Sasseta) certificate and a 12-month Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) contract/internship with their respective municipality.

The graduation in Knysna on Friday 10 November was held at Loerie Park Stadium. The proud graduates, all decked out in their uniforms, were greeted by delighted friends and family members in the audience.

The ceremony commenced with the group performing their precision passing out drill.

The programme was facilitated by Knysna Municipality, the Department of Community Safety and the Cape Town Metro Police. The learners were required to undergo fitness training and complete written exams before proceeding to the next phase of the programme.

The graduating peace officers performing their precision drill.

Students who passed the training and the final exam are competent to receive an employment contract of 12 months from Knysna Municipality. The 20 students began their contracts on Monday 13 November.

The aim of the programme was to provide resources and opportunities to the youth and to integrate the youth into employment at a faster rate.

"In a world where chaos and uncertainty is often dominant, these courses serve as a beacon of hope," says Kamvalethu Tamia Maliti, the highest scoring candidate of the group. "They shape individuals into guardians of peace and justice. Participating in the peace officer training course was not merely an educational endeavour but a profound experience which shapes character. The training course equips us with the knowledge to help bridge the gap in our communities."

Bitous' 20 graduates with Minister Reagen Allen (centre).