A recent unannounced oversight visit by Ian Cameron and Nicholas Gotsell to the Cape Town Public Order Policing (POP) unit at Faure Base has revealed critical resource shortages and infrastructure failures, leaving officers ill-equipped to handle public unrest and violent protests. Despite competent local leadership, the unit is severely underfunded and unsupported by SAPS National Headquarters, raising urgent questions about mismanagement and misplaced priorities within the police service.

Public Order Policing officers are expected to manage violent protests and crowd control, yet more than 60% of their fleet is non-functional. Of the 96 vehicles assigned to the unit, only 29 are operational. The situation is even worse for armoured vehicles and water cannons, with only four working units available for major public disorder incidents across Cape Town.

“This is not a case of poor leadership at the base,” Cameron stated. “The problem lies at SAPS National Headquarters, which has failed to provide the necessary resources. Officers are being sent into volatile situations without the vehicles they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

Nicholas Gotsell echoed these concerns, highlighting the disconnect between SAPS leadership and officers on the ground.

“It became clear once again that there is a massive disconnect between SAPS management and the people who are working on the ground. Once again, they are under-resourced. The vehicles are a huge concern. We are going to have to ask some serious questions in the budget process and whether SAPS actually has its priorities straight.”

The equipment crisis at the unit is especially concerning for the 275 new members who arrived in 2023. Unlike long-serving POP officers who have their own riot gear, these recruits share just 60 riot kits between them, raising serious hygiene and safety concerns.

Gotsell was particularly alarmed by the lack of proper protective gear for officers deployed to high-risk situations.

“Some of the new members don’t even have their own gear. They call them ‘armadillo suits,’ and they have to use other people’s suits, which is very unhygienic. But again, you know, these are things that are not planned for,” stated Gotsell. Further, he added that “there are a lot of passionate and dedicated people in the police, and we have to make sure they have the resources they need to do their jobs.”

The base itself is insecure, exposing officers, firearms, and ammunition to criminal threats. During the visit, a herd of cattle from a nearby township wandered through the base, highlighting the complete lack of a secure perimeter.

Security concerns are not hypothetical, the base was targeted in August 2024, when criminals stole firearms and ammunition. Despite this, barbed wire rolls have been repurposed as a makeshift fence, offering no real protection.

Perhaps one of the most disturbing findings was the presence of seven officers charged with robbery and extortion, who were arrested in October 2024. After spending four months in custody, these officers have returned to duty, despite their pending disciplinary cases.

“Their presence is a direct threat to the integrity of the unit,” noted Cameron. “Many hardworking officers do not want them there, as it undermines morale and damages public trust in law enforcement.”

The local command at Faure Base is highly competent but overstretched and unsupported. The unit, which should be led by a brigadier, is instead commanded by a colonel, who is doing the work of a higher-ranking officer without the necessary resources or support.

There are only two lieutenant colonels, both overworked, while six captains are acting as company commanders in posts meant for lieutenant colonels. This rank stagnation is a direct result of a broken SAPS HR system, preventing proper leadership structures from being established.

“The failures at SAPS National Headquarters, HRD (Human Resources Division), Finance, and SAPS leadership, are crippling this unit,” said Cameron. “They have not provided the necessary vehicles, gear, or even basic infrastructure, despite clear and urgent need.”

A detailed oversight report has been compiled, stated Cameron, outlining the critical failures at the unit. This report will be shared with relevant departments and officials, demanding urgent intervention.

“If there is no meaningful action within the allocated timeframe, those responsible will be summoned to the Police Portfolio Committee in Parliament for further scrutiny and resolution,” Cameron warned.

Reflecting on the visit, he described the scene at Faure Base as resembling a ‘police graveyard’, with rows of non-functional vehicles that should be out in communities protecting South Africans.

“This failure is not just about broken-down vehicles, it represents a broken system that needs urgent fixing,” he concluded.