BRITS POS – BRITS - The Portfolio Committee on Police was dumbfounded recently to learn that during the entire first quarter, the South African Police Service (SAPS) did not initiate one internal disciplinary case against reported allegations of corruption within the service. The committee received the first quarter performance reports from the SAPS, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service.
“In a country that suffers greatly from the scourge of corruption, especially the perception that some members of the SAPS are implicated in criminal conduct, the inability to institute any disciplinary hearings for the first quarter as it relates to corruption allegations further erodes the trust levels in the SAPS,” said Mr Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of the committee.
He said it is unfathomable that the SAPS has not instituted any disciplinary case, and the reason given for this – delays in appointing functionaries – is unacceptable. The committee recommended that the SAPS needs to seriously consider how the lack of consequences within the SAPS is further eroding the non-existent trust between the police and the communities they serve.
The committee raised concerns that the SAPS only installed closed-circuit television systems at one site against the planned 15 sites for the quarter. During consideration of the SAPS’ annual performance plan and strategic plan, the SAPS highlighted its intention to use information technology as a force multiplier, but this underperformance undermines this drive and shows a lack of commitment to fight crime using technological advances.
The committee has previously raised concerns about the SAPS’ apathy towards alternative interventions to crime fighting. The 0% expenditure on biological assets, such as the dog and mounted units, highlights its lack of commitment to adopt comprehensive interventions to combat crime. The committee reaffirms its call that units such as the K9 unit are critical to fight emerging crime trends such as narcotics.
The committee also raised an alarm that the detective service only achieved 40% of its targets. While the committee acknowledged that the underachievement is rooted in the high docket-to-detective ratio, it remains concerning, especially in the context of the critical investigation element in combating crime. The committee has called on the SAPS to improve performance on all set targets.
Regarding IPID, the committee remains concerned about the perpetual backlog at the entity, which undermines the mandate to hold the SAPS accountable. While the committee noted the mitigation strategy to hire retired investigators and their placement in provinces with high caseloads, it remains concerning that IPID has been struggling to clear its case backlog over successive years.
The high rate of cases that the National Prosecuting Authority has refused to prosecute points to weak investigative capacity within IPID.
Nonetheless, the committee raised concern that while the Firearms Control Amendment Bill was sent to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) more than 40 days ago, there has been minimal consultation with the stakeholders affected by the bill. While the committee acknowledges the engagement at NEDLAC, broad consultation is also necessary, as mandated by the Constitution.
