In a bid to create a robust police force and combat crime more effectively, South Africa will host its first-ever Police Summit from April 8-10, 2025, at Kempton Park’s Emperors Palace Convention Centre in Gauteng. The high-level forum is to be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday, where he will address key stakeholders on the future of policing in South Africa.
Organised under the theme “Efficiency in Action: Optimising South Africa’s Policing Potential”, the summit is in harmony with Chapter 12 of the National Development Plan (NDP), which deals with the development of safer communities. The conference intends to critically examine current policing models and experiment with new ones to enhance the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“The conference will address South Africa’s crime rates by examining current policing methodologies and finding better methods of doing policing for SAPS,” announced the Presidency in a statement.
The three-day event will address a range of issues around law enforcement in an effort to optimize SAPS operations according to the 2030 NDP agenda. The four themes that would be discussed include:
– Proven and tested policing strategies that have successfully reduced crime and enhanced public safety in neighborhoods.
– Adaptation to changing characteristics of modern policing, for example, altering trends in crime and society.
– How technology is transforming modern policing, for example, AI-driven surveillance, forensic examination, and data-driven police work.
– Investigation, intelligence, and professional staff development to equip law enforcement agencies with professionalism, skills, and expertise.
The summit will assemble the nation’s top law enforcement leaders, policy specialists, and community members to share opinions, best practices, and recommendations. These discussions will shape future crime-fighting strategies and foster enhanced collaboration between the government, the business sector, and civil society.
Prior to the summit, the Ministerial Business Commitment Dinner will be hosted by the Ministry of Police, a feature event which will be used to emphasise the growing and productive collaboration between business and law enforcement. The event will bring together key stakeholders from Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA), other business stakeholders, and the South African Police Service (SAPS), reiterating the commitment for a whole-of-government, whole-of-society response to fighting crime and making communities safer.
Cooperation initiatives, as identified through consultation with BACSA, have led to the creation of various joint projects where business and SAPS can work together to fight crime and improve security measures in various industries. The Ministerial Business Commitment Dinner will be used as a platform for the advancement of the actual dividends of business-law enforcement partnerships. The dinner will be an opportunity for guests to participate in the discussion of future projects, exchange knowledge, and determine additional opportunities for cooperation.
At the upcoming summit, SAPS Head of Communications Major-General Phokane stressed the need for crafting a holistic approach to crime prevention.
“The Police Summit will be a key platform for experts and practitioners to exchange views, network, and engage with stakeholders on new strategies. Crime being one of South Africa’s most pressing problems, we need a radical and concerted effort to tackle it decisively,” Maj-Gen Phokane said.
Maj-General also underscored that the Ministerial Business Commitment Dinner would showcase tangible outcomes of law enforcement-private sector partnerships.
“The dinner will be an opportunity to discuss upcoming projects, learn from each other, and find other areas of partnership,” further added.
The meeting is expected to receive intense media coverage and public interest, with the debates expected to set the tone for future policing policy and crime-busting approach in South Africa. Journalists are encouraged to report on the proceedings and highlights of the major findings of the deliberations.
As South Africa grapples with a high crime rate, this summit presents a key moment where police and policymakers can rise to the challenge of building a better, safer future for the nation.
