[imagesource:medium]

Tiktok SA has been feeling strange over several videos that emerged of the ‘intense training’ that members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) undergo, especially those in public order policing.

The training videos show riot police trainees being pelted with tyres as they try to descend a flight of stairs, or in another, retreat into their armoured vehicle.

Honestly, how else do you prepare police for the onslaught they sometimes have to face to keep order? You cannot learn to swim by reading a pamphlet. At least the tyres weren’t on fire. Keep in mind that these poor people will be in front of the next service delivery protest, taxi strike, or brawl at a school near you soon, so they need to know how to stay cool when the rubber meets the riot shield.

TitTok saw some humour in the videos despite the seriousness of the training and they have amassed more than 10 million views so far. South Africans, as always, saw the funny, but at least there is some interest in how our only line of defense is trained.

Comments ranged from “I will quit the same day”, to “This training is so personal”, but the best must be: “Who the hell is throwing those tyres. Aiming is on point”.

Protests can be sparked by anything from service delivery failures to political grievances, so the fuzz don’t have the easiest job in the world. Despite the deluge of contempt that the boys in blue face in the media, they do however keep a semblance of order.

Public order policing is everything but riot control in name, and conditions can deteriorate in any direction, so they need to be highly trained. In December last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that following the unrest in July 2021, which saw widespread violence and looting, 4,000 new recruits will be deployed to the Public Order Policing (POP) unit.

Of the 10,000 new recruits being added to the SAPS, Ramaphosa said nearly half the new recruits would be used to strengthen public order policing.

That does have a bit too much ‘Coming Soon’ vibes to it, so for now we can still giggle as the rookies get clobbered with tyres. The training feels a bit harsh, but as noted before, that’s how riots roll.

@user42596281996391♬ original sound – FREEDAH

@the_scent_central #fypシ #explore #southafricatiktok #sapstraining ♬ original sound – The Scent Central

Showmax should consider a reality show on recruits.

[source:iol]