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The Portfolio Committee of Police has welcomed the achievement of an unqualified audit opinion for the South African Police Service (SAPS) but has cautioned that the challenge for the SAPS remains the serious underperformance in reducing critical crime trends that continue to besiege the country. The committee yesterday received briefings from the Office of the Auditor-General, SAPS management, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS).
 
“Despite the somewhat commendable audit opinion, the reality is that the critical indicator of the effectiveness of SAPS is the reduction of crime in the country. The lived experiences of the people point to challenges that need urgent attention. The SAPS management have a dual responsibility to ensure good financial management and governance as well as the reduction of some stubborn crime trends,” said Mr Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of the committee.  
 
The committee believes that the review of the 2023/24 annual reports for SAPS, CSPS, IPID and PSIRA presents a clear need for more decisive action and accountability across the entire police and security services sector. The annual reports also place a greater responsibility for the committee to enhance its oversight function to ensure these entities perform to the highest standards, particularly given the pressing crime crisis South Africa continues to face.
 
The committee had serious concerns with performance, compliance and internal control management within the SAPS. It is unacceptable that the SAPS failed to meet 10 of its 18 planned performance targets for the year. This includes critical areas such as arrests for economic infrastructure-related crimes, where there was a shortfall of over 3 200 arrests compared to the set target.
 
“In a country battling extortion, organised crime and rising violence, these failures directly undermine our ability to safeguard economic development and public safety. The fact that the SAPS is failing to dismantle the extortions syndicates is confirmation of the committee’s view that the lack of a clear and actionable plan will continue to hamper efforts to defeat the scourge of extortions in the country,” Mr Cameron emphasised.
 
The SAPS’s continued inefficiencies in the management of the 10111 command centres remains a lingering concern. An average call abandonment rate of 26%, with response times ranging from 8 to 35 minutes, is unacceptable. Despite years of discussions about this issue, there is little evidence of improvement. For a service that is supposed to be the public’s first line of defence against crime, these statistics represent a gross dereliction of duty.
 
The committee has since its inception maintained that the gross underfunding of the Detective Services Division as well as the high number of resignations within the unit inhibits a critical pillar of the fight against crime. “The severe depletion of the Detective Services Division remains a serious concern. Over the past seven years, detective numbers have fallen from 26 000 to just 17 000, which negatively affects the SAPS ability to investigate acts of crime and present winnable cases to the National Prosecuting Authority,” Mr Cameron said.
 
The committee maintains that without an adequate force of detectives, an expectation of thorough and timely investigation of crimes will remain a dream. “This not only delays justice but will also embolden criminals to believe they can operate with impunity,” Mr Cameron argued.
 
The Crime Intelligence Division remains an area requiring intensive focus from the SAPS. Although SAPS claims that this division achieved 100% of its targets, the rising levels of extortion, cash-in-transit heists, cross-border crimes and kidnappings suggest otherwise. The committee is believes there is a clear disconnect between the reported achievements and the reality on the ground, which raises serious questions about the integrity of the performance data.
 
The failure by SAPS to adequately address the DNA analysis backlog is another critical concern. The backlog now stands at 70 000 cases, severely hampering efforts to prosecute gender-based violence and other serious crimes. It is imperative that SAPS gets this issue under control if we are to improve conviction rates and deliver justice to victims.
 
Meanwhile, the committee welcomed the attainment of a second consecutive clean audit by the CSPS, which highlights a commitment to sound financial management. However, the committee amplified the continued challenges with underspending and personnel management, particularly in the Office of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations Judge and the DNA Board. These two critical entities are integral to oversight and accountability, and their inefficiency undermines the broader criminal justice system. It is essential that urgent solutions are found to address the consistent underspending to enhance their capacity to perform their critical roles.
 
IPID, while also receiving an unqualified audit, faces ongoing challenges in improving its performance. A recent study by the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum highlighted that IPID’s current performance indicators do not adequately measure its impact on police accountability. There are continued complaints of police misconduct and brutality, yet the slow pace of investigations has eroded public confidence in IPID’s ability to hold officers accountable. It is clear that more must be done to speed up investigations and improve communication with the public on case progress.
 
The PSIRA plays a vital role in regulating the private security industry. While it has made strides in improving its financial management, questions remain about its capacity to effectively regulate an industry that wields considerable influence over public safety. The recent discovery of a suspected military training camp in Mpumalanga is testament to the PSIRA’s shortcomings in its regulatory and oversight role. Strengthening PSIRA’s regulatory role is crucial, especially as private security firms continue to fill gaps left by an overstretched SAPS. Meanwhile, the committee noted with concern that the entity received a qualified audit opinion, which highlights system deficiencies within the entity.
 
“It is unacceptable that the matters of emphasis are blamed on previous years deficiencies, as this points to inadequate planning of the financial system migration. Also, it is unacceptable that the entity continues to blame the lack of skills within financial unit as this has been an excuse for some time now,” Mr Cameron said.
 
Meanwhile, the committee appreciated the poem for peace delivered by leaner Mr Nataneal Davids from Modderdam High School. “The poem is a reminder that we need to do more to create an environment of peace for all in our communities. This is an important responsibility we must all take seriously,” Mr Cameron concluded.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron