The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) has welcomed the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) decision to reappoint 353 former detectives on a one-year contract, saying the move will help ease the mounting pressure on the overstretched investigative unit.

“This urgent measure comes at a time when the SAPS is facing a critical shortage of detectives, which has severely impacted the investigation and resolution of criminal cases across the country,” POPCRU said.

The union said that detectives across South Africa are buckling under extreme caseloads, with each officer often managing between 200 and 300 dockets. In some provinces, detectives are handling up to 500 dockets each.

POPCRU said this situation is both unsustainable and detrimental to the effective administration of justice, adding that the 1.9 million case backlog is delaying prosecutions and denying victims timely justice.

POPCRU emphasised that while the recruitment of new constables into detective services is a welcome long-term intervention, training them to full competency will take years.

“The immediate reappointment of experienced detectives, already trained in specialised investigative work, provides a crucial short-term intervention to alleviate this burden,” the union said.

To support the reappointments, POPCRU confirmed it had agreed to an allowance of R1,000 for each returning officer.

“This is a recognition of both the urgency and the value that these skilled officers bring to the fight against crime.”

The union highlighted the broader challenges plaguing the detective service, including 2,344 vacant posts across the country, the loss of more than 8,400 detectives between 2016 and 2023, insufficient training for new recruits, and poor resourcing.

It added that low morale and internal dysfunction were further undermining the service’s capacity.

POPCRU said the initiative must be supported by other reforms already underway, including the redeployment of 3,469 constables to detective services and improved funding.

“We call upon all stakeholders within the criminal justice cluster to ensure these reappointed detectives are provided with the necessary resources, institutional support, and conducive working conditions to execute their duties effectively,” it said.

“Crime in South Africa demands a skilled and well-resourced investigative force, this reappointment is a necessary and practical step toward that goal.” 

IOL News

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