Members of the Ad Hoc Committee were presented with alarming insights on Wednesday, as Dr Jean Redpath of the Dullah Omar Institute and Advocate Tengimpilo Maqebhula, representing dismissed SAPS officers, raised urgent concerns about systemic failures in South African policing, including the misuse of resources, political interference, and unlawful dismissals.

Redpath, addressing the ongoing crisis within the police service, highlighted the severe deterioration in police effectiveness despite rising budgets.

“The more we spend, the less we get in terms of safety and trust,” she said.

She explained how the police’s failure to allocate resources rationally has exacerbated violence in high-crime areas, especially KwaZulu-Natal.

Redpath pointed to the worsening murder rates in the province, now at an alarming 46 per 100,000, nearly double the rate in 2011.

“The allocation of resources to these high-risk areas is irrational and unjust,” she argued, referencing a court ruling that supported her findings from the Khayelitsha Commission.

Redpath also drew attention to the inefficiency of specialised police task teams, such as the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), which, despite substantial funding, failed to curb political violence.

“Half a billion rands were allocated to the PKTT over several years, yet political killings increased in the very areas it was supposed to address,” Redpath said.

She urged the committee to closely scrutinise the financial and operational oversight of these task teams.

Advocate Maqebhula, representing over 100 dismissed SAPS officers, spoke out about the unlawful dismissal of officers without trial.

“More than 100 police officers have been dismissed without being given the opportunity to defend themselves, violating their constitutional right to a fair trial,” Maqebhula said.

He explained that officers were summarily dismissed under SAPS Regulation 9, which he argued is unconstitutional.

“These officers were never given a chance to cross-examine witnesses or present their case. They were simply dismissed based on photocopied statements from criminal case dockets,” he said. 

Maqebhula said he has taken the matter to court, arguing that the regulation violates Section 34 and Section 35 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to a fair trial.

Maqebhula also criticised the legal mismanagement within SAPS, particularly in the Eastern Cape and Free State, where legal officers allegedly lied under oath to prevent the implementation of labor court orders.

“They claimed officers had the chance to cross-examine witnesses, when in fact no such opportunity was given,” he said.

He pointed to contradictions between SAPS’ official reports and the affidavits provided by dismissed officers, further alleging that this mismanagement has worsened the already dire situation.

Maqebhula also shared troubling accounts of racial discrimination, with black and colored police officers being disproportionately dismissed in Grahamstown and Makhanda, while white officers were protected.

“There has been a consistent pattern of racial dismissals since 1996, with white officers being shielded from accountability for serious offenses,” he claimed.

Additionally, Maqebhula alleged corruption within SAPS’ promotion panels, stating that qualified candidates were deliberately excluded to make way for those with political connections

“Deserving candidates were hidden from promotion panels, ensuring politically aligned individuals moved up the ranks,” he said.

Both Redpath and Maqebhula stressed the need for urgent reforms, with Redpath calling for a more equitable distribution of resources and better accountability measures within SAPS.

“We cannot continue to spend billions without seeing real improvements in public safety,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Maqebhula urged Parliament to take action to protect the rights of dismissed officers and ensure police discipline is handled lawfully.

“The SAPS must act within the law. If we can’t protect the rights of our police officers, how can we protect the rights of the public?” he said. 

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za 

IOL Politics 

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