The Portfolio Committee on Police has raised serious concerns regarding the South African Police Service’s (SAPS’s) recruitment and retention strategies, along with the slow progress in addressing critical infrastructure issues at police stations.
SAPS leadership, alongside Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, in November briefed the committee on efforts to enhance the capacity of the SAPS’s specialized units. The committee additionally received updates from both SAPS and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) on current infrastructure projects aimed at improving police station facilities and the security measures in place.
The committee was informed that, due to staffing needs, the police service requires a total of 310 132 officers. This includes 254 248 personnel under the Police Act and 55 884 under the Public Service Act, indicating a substantial shortfall in personnel. Despite the increase of 6 647 police officials between March 2023 and September 2024, the committee expressed concern over the ‘alarming’ number of officers leaving the force. The 2022/23 financial year saw 6 430 exits (3.58% of the workforce), while 6 677 officers left in the 2023/24 year. By the end of September 2024, 3 572 officers had already exited. On average, the SAPS loses approximately 5 300 officers annually, “which poses a serious challenge to both service delivery and retention of skills and experience,” the committee said in a statement.
Read the full story on ProtectionWeb here.
