Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, recently shared his insights on the state of policing in South Africa, touching on key issues such as crime prevention, police restructuring, detective services, and the need for leadership reform. His discussion highlighted the systemic challenges within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and potential solutions to improve its effectiveness.
Responding to concerns about excessive force used by some SAPS units, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, Cameron stressed that while police must defend themselves, accountability is crucial. “We can’t expect action against crime and then condemn the police when that action seems too firm,” he stated. However, he acknowledged that a lack of oversight in certain areas leads to disproportionately high fatalities, raising questions about operational conduct.
Cameron argued that there needs to be an independent body that monitors police conduct more effectively. “Internal oversight is important, but SAPS should not be policing itself. There needs to be greater external accountability to ensure that police actions align with the law and do not erode public trust,” he said. He also suggested improving police training to emphasise the proportional use of force and crisis de-escalation tactics.
A major issue Cameron raised was the discrepancy between arrest numbers and successful convictions. Operation Shanela sees weekly arrests of 10,000 to 13,000 people, yet “we see little evidence of successful prosecutions.” He criticised the operation as “a high visibility but ineffective strategy” that overburdens detectives without addressing core criminal structures. “Mass arrests are meaningless if they don’t lead to solid convictions.”
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