As part of the Customs Modernisation Programme, and in line with its Vision 24 to build a smart, modern Sars, the Customs Cadet Programme was introduced to recruit and place successful candidates as customs officers of the future.
Trade has welcomed the initiative, mainly due to an exodus of experienced officers over the past few years. It therefore bodes well for customs in the future as there will be a continuous feeder system of trained personnel to ensure customs can fulfil its mandate without disruption.
There is, for good reason, scant information available on the training programme itself. We know that training takes place over 12 months, and the cadets will be trained on the various fundamentals of customs.
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