In a written parliamentary response, the SAPS acknowledged the mounting pressure on the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), attributing the surge in outstanding cases largely to the increased volume of intelligence-related samples submitted for analysis. These samples, while not court-bound, are used to support ongoing investigations and constitute the majority of the current backlog.

Between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 financial years, registered forensic case entries rose by 24.6%, from 307,826 to 383,614 samples. Over the same period, the number of registered intelligence entries rose even more steeply, by 57%, from 208,197 to 326,272. Despite these increases, SAPS reports that its laboratories analysed 275,994 case exhibits by the end of the third quarter of 2024/25, close to matching the 284,529 exhibits processed in the full 2021/22 financial year. The total for 2024/25 is projected to reach approximately 350,000 completed analyses, representing an anticipated 18% increase over 2021/22.

As of the end of the third quarter, 141,190 DNA entries exceeded the prescribed turnaround timelines. Of these, 112,489 were intelligence entries, while 28,701 were court-bound cases still in process. The SAPS states that the latter are prioritised in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), particularly under the ongoing SAPS/NPA project initiated in July 2021. This project has so far prioritised 52,101 gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) related cases, based on court-directed requests.

The backlog has been compounded by Operation Shanela, a SAPS initiative involving high-density weekly operations targeting violent crime hotspots. While the operation has increased arrests, it has also led to a significant rise in forensic sample submissions to the FSL.

In response, the FSL has implemented several operational strategies to manage the load:

• Daily, weekly, and monthly national monitoring of forensic case throughput, led by an appointed Operational Manager.
• Ongoing oversight of procurement to ensure availability of reagents and consumables.
• Fast-tracked equipment repairs to minimise operational downtime.
• A project-based approach to expedite the finalisation of incoming cases.
• Redistribution of casework across laboratories to balance workloads.
• Approval of overtime to increase processing capacity when needed.
• Quarterly coordination meetings between the SAPS, NPA, and detectives to prioritise court-imminent cases and prevent delays in court proceedings.
• Infrastructure planning, including efforts to secure alternative premises for the KwaZulu-Natal Forensic Science Laboratory, which will include a new DNA facility.

Although SAPS did not provide a detailed list of key performance indicators (KPIs), it highlighted its current metrics, including case throughput, turnaround time adherence, and backlog volume, as central to tracking progress. Monitoring mechanisms are built into the laboratory’s daily and strategic operations, with emphasis on equitable distribution of analysis and inter-agency collaboration.

While the SAPS has taken concrete steps to manage and reduce the DNA backlog, the ongoing increase in sample submissions continues to place pressure on forensic resources. The success of current measures will be key in determining whether the FSL can keep pace with demand and meet turnaround targets.

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“Major-General Mulaudzi’s views obscure the real challenges and present unrealistic solutions that do not align with South Africa’s current fiscal constraints. The SAPS must focus on addressing the systemic issues within the FSL rather than proposing unattainable solutions,” Cameron stated.

The backlog of DNA cases has surged to over 140,000, primarily due to chronic underfunding, inadequate planning, and poor operational support, rather than simply a lack of facilities. A major factor exacerbating this crisis is the failure to maintain critical forensic instruments, many of which have been non-operational since 2020 due to expired maintenance contracts. This highlights a severe mismanagement problem within the division.

Moreover, inadequate storage facilities have led to case files being stored haphazardly in corridors, while forensic exhibits are falling off overcrowded shelves in secure rooms. These conditions not only compromise the integrity of evidence but also pose significant health and safety risks to forensic personnel, Cameron warned.

He said that unless these structural problems are addressed, expanding forensic facilities across the country will not resolve the underlying inefficiencies. “These challenges stem from poor management, inadequate planning, and a disregard for the critical role of forensic science in resolving criminal cases. If the leadership of SAPS continues to ignore these fundamental issues, no sustainable solutions will be found,” he emphasized.

He further urged SAPS leadership to take decisive action in tackling these challenges and to implement practical, well-structured reforms. Restoring public confidence in the forensic system and, by extension, the criminal justice system, must be a priority.

“Continued obfuscation of these challenges will only serve to deepen the crisis,” Cameron concluded.

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Action Society has accused SAPS of downplaying the extent of the crisis for the past two years, creating a human rights violation that infringes upon South Africans’ constitutional rights to equality, fair administrative action, and access to courts. The organisation has called on the Auditor-General of South Africa to urgently investigate the backlog and further urged SAPS to enter into public-private partnerships with private forensic laboratories and universities to accelerate DNA testing and analysis.

“DNA evidence is one of the most powerful tools in crime-fighting, yet despite the government’s repeated promises, especially regarding gender-based violence (GBV), SAPS has failed to take decisive action. Thousands of victims of rape and violent crime, as well as families of murder victims, are left in limbo while perpetrators walk free,” said Action Society spokesperson, Juanita du Preez.

The DNA backlog crisis is not new. In 2020, forensic testing ground to a halt when then-Police Minister Bheki Cele failed to ensure payment for the PCEM system, causing the system to shut down and creating an initial backlog of over 125,000 cases, 92% of which were related to sexual assault kits. In April 2021, Action Society revealed that the backlog had escalated to 241,152 cases. By July 2021, the backlog exceeded 300,000 cases, prompting Action Society to file a complaint with the Public Protector.

“It is inconceivable that despite various interactions and interventions, as well as the reprioritisation of funding to resolve the backlog and ensure the scientific-based prosecution of cases, the backlog remains stubbornly high. This will lead to cases being removed from the court roll, allowing criminals to walk free. Those in authority must be held accountable for this mess, it is a clear case of dereliction of duty,” stated Ian Cameron, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police.

The Office of the Public Protector (OPP) took two years to respond to Action Society’s complaint against Cele, President Cyril Ramaphosa, SAPS, the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), and the FSL. Its 2023 report found that financial mismanagement, including under-budgeting, under-spending, and failure to renew supplier contracts, was a key driver of the backlog. Additionally, the report highlighted that SAPS’ centralised procurement system created inefficiencies, and forensic laboratories were inadequately equipped, with poor layouts and insufficient storage capacity further hampering workflows.

Despite multiple commitments to Parliament, SAPS has failed to renew critical service contracts for forensic equipment, resulting in unusable machinery and a worsening backlog. Furthermore, SAPS leadership has ignored recommendations to collaborate with universities that have forensic capabilities, demonstrating a continued disregard for practical solutions. The ongoing mismanagement of forensic services has severely compromised the justice system, delaying or outright preventing criminal prosecutions.

“In 2021, in the midst of the worst backlog crisis within the division, SAPS management stood in front of everyone and made commitments that they have now seemingly disregarded. It is unacceptable that measures promised to ensure the National Forensic Science Laboratories’ productivity were nothing more than lip service,” Cameron emphasised. “People must be held accountable.”

In response, Cameron has announced that he will formally request the Office of the Auditor-General to conduct a full forensic audit of SAPS’ DNA processing, forensic laboratory operations, and contract management. “It is clear that the public deserves transparency on where the failures are occurring, who is responsible, and what must be done to fix it.”

The Portfolio Committee on Police and Action Society insist that SAPS’s Forensic Laboratory Services must be urgently restructured and stabilised to ensure that DNA evidence can be processed efficiently. “If SAPS management is not held accountable for this ongoing failure, trust in South Africa’s criminal justice system will continue to deteriorate,” Cameron warned.

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After presentations by the DNA Board, officially the National Forensic Oversight and Ethics Board; Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Judge Charmaine Marshall and the Civilian Secretariat for Police, PCP chair Ian Cameron in a hard-hitting statement last month said that for public trust to be regained, all pillars in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) must be functional.

As examples he quoted the cases of a 15-year-old rape victim in the Temba Magistrate’s Court postponed three times since November 2023 and that of Simbongile Mancotywa from Cofimvaba, murdered in May 2020, with the case postponed “countless times” due to DNA analysis delays. These, Cameron said are just two instanced highlighting the need for the DNA Board to enhance monitoring to ensure the FSL and NFDD are functional.

The Cameron statement further notes the DNA Board should not merely accept reports from the FSL and NFDD but should ensure congruency between what is reported and the lived experiences on the ground. “It is in this context the committee raised concerns that cases finalised outside standard timeframes increased from 55 681 for the 2022/23 financial year to 74 142 in the 2023/24 financial year, an increase of 24.90%. A strengthened oversight mandate will ensure such deficiencies are remedied timeously,” it reads in part.

Cameron’s committee plans a meeting to “look closely” at the effectiveness of the DNA Board. This will also see discussions on legislative change and consequence management.

Another concern is the lack of awareness campaigns by the DNA Board in the just ended financial year.

The lack of awareness of the Board’s mandate negatively affects its effectiveness and the implementation of the mandate. “It is unacceptable that budgetary constraints can be highlighted as a constraint because there are other effective measures that can be implemented to circumvent financial constraints. Despite this, the committee has welcomed assurances that the SAPS and Civilian Secretariat of Police have undertaken to include in their awareness campaigns the mandate of the DNA Board,” the statement has Cameron saying.

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