A meeting between SAPS leadership in KwaZulu-Natal and Parliamentarians has laid bare the crises faced by the police in fighting crime, including the fact that approximately 23,000 police officers are tasked with protecting 12.5 million people in the province.

Members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) met with the SAPS provincial leadership, including Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, on Monday and were briefed about various policing challenges. The challenges detailed include the over-centralisation of police powers at the head office in Pretoria and severe police staff shortages that are exacerbated by officers leaving the force at a rate higher than they are being replaced.

NCOP provincial whip Mzamo Billy, who described the meeting as positive, stated that the challenges they were briefed on were not unique to KZN and were similar to those faced by other provinces like Limpopo. Following the engagements with KZN police management, the NCOP committed to intervening and assisting where it has the power to do so.

In Billy’s address during the meeting, he assured the leadership of the NCOP’s willingness to assist the police.

“This meeting is part of the KwaZulu-Natal delegation’s broader stakeholder engagement programme, designed to identify real issues in our province and take them directly to Parliament—not through assumptions or press statements, but through engagement with the people and institutions on the frontlines.”

“We approach this conversation with full respect for SAPS’s constitutional mandate and operational independence. Let me be clear: we are not here to interfere in the processes of the Commission of Inquiry into the SAPS or the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee investigating recent allegations made by the Provincial Commissioner. That is not our role, and we have full confidence that those processes will unfold independently and fairly. Our role is to listen, collaborate, and respond with strategic support through legislation, oversight, and representation.”

He added that this engagement forms part of a broader programme initiated by the KZN NCOP delegation to strengthen co-operative governance and ensure that issues facing the province are taken directly to Parliament.

“In doing so, we act within our constitutional mandate under Chapter 3, to promote cooperation, coordination, and mutual support across all spheres of government,” he said at the meeting.

Speaking to The Mercury following the engagements, Billy noted that the challenges faced by the police were serious.

“We are quickly heading to a point of no return unless something is done soon to address some of the pressing challenges highlighted.”

“One of the things that came out was the need to devolve some of the police functions from head office to provinces.

“For instance, there are 1,400 police cars that are sitting in garages waiting to be fixed. Some have been there for 30 days, three months, or more, but some of the issues that need to be addressed are minor, like an indicator that is not working or tyres that need replacement. The car is in the workshop waiting for someone in Pretoria to sign off on it being fixed.”

He also mentioned a pressing need to address recruitment, stating, “When SAPS puts out an application, millions of people apply, but only about 5,000 are appointed. We were informed that in the past few months, more than 1,000 SAPS members have left due to retirement or have left to pursue other opportunities.”

“We learned that in the province, there are close to 2,000 security companies, which indicates that we are heading to a point of no return—a situation whereby those with money will be protected through private security, while those who are without are left exposed.”

“If we consider police numbers in KwaZulu-Natal, we find that there are about 23,000 police officers looking after 12.5 million people. This figure does not include foreigners and those who are in the country illegally.

“Furthermore, these police officers are not all on duty at the same time; they work shifts. Thus, we have a situation whereby about 9,000 officers are responsible for 12 million people at any given time,” he said.

The provincial police had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.

THE MERCURY

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