In an effort to address mounting concerns over organised crime, public sector corruption, and the sabotage of critical infrastructure, the South African government has introduced a broad set of policing reforms. The measures, detailed in the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, form part of the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) strategic priorities for the 2025/26 financial year.
Central to the new approach is the continued rollout of the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy (ICVPS), which was adopted by Cabinet in March 2022. The strategy, guided by the White Papers on Policing and Safety and Security and aligned with the National Development Plan: Vision 2030, promotes coordinated and community-based crime prevention. One of its core operational arms, Operation Shanela, focuses on weekly high-density operations informed by intelligence and targeting violent crime in high-risk areas. This programme will be expanded over the coming year to further stabilise key hotspots.
SAPS is also introducing several new specialised units as part of efforts to increase operational capacity. These include Firearm Investigation Units aimed at reducing the circulation of illegal firearms, Anti-Gang Units now set to be deployed in all nine provinces, and Economic Infrastructure Units dedicated to safeguarding vital national infrastructure. Integrated Extortion Investigation Teams will continue their focus on the construction sector, where extortion and intimidation have become endemic. Efforts to improve investigations into murder, robbery, taxi violence, and forensic analysis are also being prioritised, with new resources allocated to investigative units and expanded coordination through operational command centres at district, provincial and national levels.
The government has reaffirmed its focus on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) through the implementation of a revised National Action Plan, due to come into effect in April 2025. Training programmes for police officers will be continued to strengthen their response capabilities. While victim-friendly services are now available in most police stations, 107 stations still lack dedicated Victim-Friendly Rooms (VFRs); a rollout plan is under development, with potential sponsorship from private partners under consideration. In addition, SAPS has completed the clearing of the national DNA backlog and is directing further resources toward Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) units, along with appointing GBV coordinators across all stations.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks, has been tasked with leading the fight against corruption. For the coming financial year, the DPCI will concentrate on detecting and prosecuting complex corruption and money laundering cases across both public and private sectors. It will also target organised criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, cash-in-transit heists, police killings, and human trafficking. In line with recent legislation, the unit will enforce the Cybercrimes Act and provisions under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, particularly those dealing with money laundering and asset forfeiture.
To improve its effectiveness, the DPCI has strengthened inter-agency coordination through its chairmanship of the National Priority Crime Operational Committee. It has also deepened public-private cooperation through initiatives like the Forensic Capacity Project, launched in partnership with the banking sector in October 2023, to address digital crime and cyber threats. Engagement with civil society continues via sector-specific forums focused on health, infrastructure, and water sector corruption. The DPCI is also participating in the Joint Initiative on Crime and Corruption (JICC), where private sector entities support government efforts to tackle economic crimes. Public reporting mechanisms are being expanded, including online platforms designed to make it easier and safer for citizens to report wrongdoing.
In response to growing threats of infrastructure sabotage, particularly involving theft of non-ferrous metals and damage to energy and transport systems, SAPS has formalised the establishment of 20 Economic Infrastructure Task Teams. These will become permanent Economic Infrastructure Units in 2025/26, operating at both district and provincial levels. They will focus on crimes affecting essential infrastructure and economic assets. Coordination structures, such as the Energy Safety and Security Priority Committee and the National Logistics Crisis Committee, have also been set up to address vulnerabilities in Eskom and Transnet operations, including power grid disruptions and freight logistics failures.
In addition to these new structures, monthly enforcement operations continue under the National Crime Combating Forum, with support from public and private sector partners such as Telkom, Eskom, Transnet, PRASA, MTN, Vodacom, and several municipalities. A dedicated unit within the DPCI has also been established to investigate economic crimes involving protected resources, including the theft of fuel from Transnet pipelines.
SAPS leadership has indicated that these reforms are aimed at bolstering the country’s law enforcement capacity under tight fiscal conditions, while also building public trust through increased accountability, partnerships, and more effective crime prevention. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks for these initiatives are expected to be developed over the coming year.
