The chair of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police (PCP) Ian Cameron was reportedly “dumbfounded” to hear there were no internal SA Police Service (SAPS) disciplinary cases for corruption allegations during the first quarter of this year.

The outspoken Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP) who, along with two colleagues, were attacked by suspected hijackers in Philippi last month (August), received first quarter SAPS performance reports at a PCP meeting last week (10 September). Also tabled during Wednesday’s meeting were reports from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS), a “technical advisor” to the Police Minister, currently Firoz Cachalia in an acting capacity.

A Parliamentary Communication Services statement issued post the meeting has Cameron saying: “In a country that suffers greatly from the scourge of corruption, especially the perception that some members of the SAPS are implicated in criminal conduct, the inability to institute any disciplinary hearings for the first quarter as it relates to corruption allegations further erodes the trust levels in the SAPS”.

It continues: “It is unfathomable that the SAPS has not instituted any disciplinary case and the reason given for this – delays in appointing functionaries – is unacceptable”.

The PCP recommended National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and his service “seriously needs” to consider how the lack of consequences in the SAPS is further eroding “the non-existent trust between police and the communities they serve”.

Cameron’s committee also took SAPS to task for failing to meet its own set target of 15 closed circuit television (CCTV) systems installed in the January/March quarter of 2025, managing just one. On this, the statement has it, “during consideration of the SAPS’ annual performance plan and strategic plan, the SAPS highlighted its intention to use information technology as a force multiplier” emphasising “this under-performance undermines this drive and shows a lack of commitment to fight crime using technological advances”.

Under-performance in relation to the percentage of reported incidents of contact crime against women and children was another poor performance area picked up on by the PCP. That police were able to reduce contact crime incidents against women by 4.1% – against a planned target of 25% – was evidence of this and when taken with a 1.8% increase involving children, pointed to failure to protect the most vulnerable.

Other areas where there is under and/or a lack of performance, according to Cameron’s committee, are the use of “biological assets” – dogs and horses; the detective service reaching 40% of targets for the period under review; and the SAPS forensic laboratory not finalising case exhibits with increased demand apparently disregarded by the set down 90 day timeframe for evidence of this type.

IPID, created to investigate serious criminal offences and misconduct by police and municipal police, is also a concern for the PCP which notes its “perpetual backlog” undermines its mandate to hold the SAPS accountable.

“The committee noted the mitigation strategy to hire retired investigators and their placement in provinces with high caseloads,” adding it “remains concerning that IPID has been struggling to clear its case backlog over successive years”.

The high rate of case the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) refuses to prosecute points to what the PCP calls “weak investigative capacity in IPID”.