BY SIPHOSETHU DLAMINI, MUKELO MAGAGULA, GCINILE PHUNGWAYO, NOMPUMELELO MHLANGA AND MNELISI DLAMINI
MBABANE – Long queues formed across the country as emaSwati rushed to submit police recruitment applications yesterday.
Some aspiring police officers arrived at regional police headquarters as early as 4am, while others spent the night at recruitment centres, braving thunderstorms and heavy rain in the hope of securing one of the limited Constable II positions in the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS).
From Mbabane, where the queue stretched for approximately 500 metres, to Nhlangano, where some applicants sought shelter inside the police station overnight, the recruitment exercise attracted large numbers of jobseekers from different parts of the country.
The scenes at the various recruitment centres reflected the determination of applicants, many of whom have struggled to find employment despite completing their secondary and tertiary education.
For some, joining the police service represents an opportunity to fulfil a childhood ambition and serve the country. For others, it is a chance to earn a living, support their families and escape the uncertainty of unemployment.
The exercise, which commenced yesterday, is scheduled to run until Wednesday November 4, 2026. Applications are being received between 8am and 4pm at the designated Regional Police Headquarters. In Mbabane, the rush for police jobs was evident from the long queue of aspiring officers that stretched from the Mbabane Police Station towards Build it Plus and the KFC Drive-Thru, a distance of approximately 500 metres.
Applicants began arriving in the early hours of the morning, with some making their way to the recruitment centre before sunrise to avoid being caught behind the growing crowds.
The queue attracted people from different parts of the country, including Pigg’s Peak, Motshane, Nkambeni, Dlangeni and Msunduza.
Police Officer Gwebu moved along the queue, reminding applicants about the requirements and cautioning them against submitting forged documents.
She particularly warned those intending to submit Form V results that the police service would verify all academic qualifications and that anyone found to have forged certificates would face the consequences, as document forgery is a criminal offence. Gwebu also emphasised that applicants had to submit their documents at the correct regional police headquarters, depending on their chiefdom codes. She explained that an applicant whose chiefdom code directed them to the Manzini Regional Police Headquarters would have their application rejected if submitted in Mbabane. The document-verification process also resulted in some applicants being turned away temporarily after failing to attach all the required documents. Some were missing passport-sized photographs, while others had not submitted certified copies of their certificates.
However, those whose applications were incomplete were advised to correct the shortcomings and return.
Applicants with complete documents had their applications registered and were issued with registration numbers.
The rush was also felt at nearby printing and photocopying businesses, including Mbabane Police City Post, where applicants queued to print and certify documents before returning to the police station. Some applicants were reluctant to be photographed, with a number using umbrellas to shield their faces. They explained that their current employers were unaware that they were seeking to join the police service.
Despite the long queue, some applicants remained optimistic.
Thabani Mlotsa from Pigg’s Peak said this was his second attempt at joining the police service, adding that he remained hopeful of being successful this time around. Meanwhile, Mthandeni Mndzebele from Motshane Inkhundla said he was applying for the first time after completing school. He said he arrived at the recruitment centre at approximately 6:30am and was impressed by the manner in which the application process was being handled. Mancoba Magagula from Nkambeni under Madlangampisi was also among those hoping to secure an opportunity.
Sibusiso Dlamini from Mbabane said he had prepared his documents weeks before the commencement of the recruitment exercise and was confident that he had done everything required.
For Nompendulo Khumalo from Dlangeni, joining the police service would provide an opportunity to serve the country and protect communities, while also giving her a chance to secure employment. Gcinile Mabuza from Msunduza also expressed optimism, saying she had travelled early to ensure that her documents were properly checked. In Nhlangano, the determination of aspiring police officers was tested by the weather, as thunderstorms and heavy rain showers failed to discourage those who wanted to submit their applications early. Some applicants spent the night at the Nhlangano Police Station, while others travelled to the town the previous evening to position themselves ahead of the opening of the recruitment process. By 4am, applicants were already queuing at the Shiselweni Regional Police Headquarters, with hundreds expected to submit their applications during the day. Among those who endured the difficult conditions was 28-year-old Sifiso Shabangu, a self-employed bricklayer from Ngudzeni. Shabangu left his family home at 7pm on Sunday and travelled to Nhlangano. On arrival, he found that it was raining heavily and there was thunder.
He sought shelter inside the police station to secure an early position in the queue and eventually became the first applicant to join the official line at approximately 3:30am.
Applying for the first time, Shabangu said his ambition to join the police service was driven by a desire to help fight crime in his community and contribute towards its development. He also pointed to the shortage of employment opportunities in the region, saying securing a police job would provide him with an opportunity to earn a living.
Boy Simelane, 32, from Matsanjeni and Wandile Nkumane from Magele were also among those who arrived during the heavy downpour and spent the night at the police station.
The two expressed gratitude to the officers on duty for allowing them to take shelter inside the facility, saying this had enabled them to remain dry while waiting for the application process to begin. Nomsa Mdluli from Mtsambama also devised a plan to avoid arriving late.
She travelled to Mathendele on Sunday evening, where she spent the night at her sister’s home before waking up at 4am to make her way to the recruitment centre. Her early start paid off as she secured the third position in the queue.
As the morning progressed, more applicants arrived, causing the queue to grow. Nompilo Hleta, a 30-year-old unemployed woman from Jabulani, arrived at approximately 5:45am and joined the queue at 6am, only to find that she was already around the 60th applicant. For Hleta, the exercise represented another attempt to secure employment through the police service, having applied on three previous occasions.
She said she desperately needed a stable source of income after failing to secure alternative employment.
She also highlighted the importance of having police officers in communities, particularly in helping to deter crime. Not everyone, however, was in a hurry to submit their applications.
Sipho Mamba from Mashobeni arrived at approximately 11am, explaining that he was still arranging his documents and wanted to ensure that everything was in order before handing them in.
He said he was not particularly worried about arriving late because the recruitment exercise was scheduled to continue until Wednesday.
Meanwhile, some applicants were reluctant to speak to the media. While some said they had not obtained permission from their employers to be away from work, others expressed fears about being exposed to witchcraft and possible jealousy from people in their communities. The processing of applications at the Shiselweni Regional Police Headquarters commenced at approximately 8:45am, with officers handling applicants from different parts of the region, including Lavumisa, Ngudzeni, Hlatikhulu and Nkwene.
In Siteki, the Lubombo Regional Police Headquarters also received aspiring police officers from different parts of the region, with some arriving as early as 4am to submit their applications.
The exercise attracted jobseekers with different educational qualifications and personal circumstances, with unemployment emerging as one of the reasons driving some to seek opportunities in the police service.
Among them was Wilson Phiwayinkhosi Hlongwane, who holds a Diploma in Nursing from Good Shepherd College. Hlongwane said he completed his studies four years ago but had struggled to secure employment in the nursing profession despite making efforts to find a job. His search for employment eventually led him to take up work at a filling station while waiting for an opportunity to practise nursing.
However, his contract at the filling station was not renewed, leaving him once again searching for employment.
Despite the setbacks, Hlongwane said he had always dreamt of joining the country’s security forces and remained hopeful that the recruitment exercise would give him an opportunity to realise that ambition.
He said the long queues did not discourage him, as he had learnt to remain patient through his experiences in the job market. His motivation was not only personal, as he also wanted to take responsibility for supporting his family.
Hlongwane explained that his parents were no longer working and that he also has a child who depends on him.
He said he felt it was now his turn to support his parents, particularly his mother, who had spent years taking care of him.
“My mother has been taking care of me, and now it is my turn,” he said.
Another applicant, Musa Dlamini from Mbadlane, said having completed tertiary education without securing employment, he viewed the recruitment exercise as an opportunity to earn a living. He said he arrived at approximately 6am to ensure that he had enough time to submit his documents. Despite the long wait and the number of applicants, he remained hopeful of progressing to the next stage of the recruitment process. For Neliswa Tsabedze from Simunye, joining the police service was a long-standing dream.She said she was motivated by the desire to serve the country, protect communities and contribute towards maintaining law and order.
Tsabedze added that securing a position would also enable her to become financially independent and support her family.
