In the 2022/2023 period, two SAPS members attempted suicide, and 45 died by suicide. The figures for 2023/2024 were higher, with four attempts and 62 deaths, and for the 2024/2025 period, the number of deaths fell slightly to 54, while suicide attempts increased to six. In the current financial year, there has been one suicide attempt and three confirmed deaths.

These figures highlight a concerning trend, compounded by the ongoing mental health challenges facing SAPS personnel, including burnout and trauma. SAPS’ Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) services are tasked with addressing these issues, but concerns about their effectiveness and resources persist.

In response to these rising numbers, the department has outlined the support provided to members who attempt suicide, which includes hospital admissions, rehabilitation, long-term counselling, trauma debriefing, and work reintegration programs. Additionally, there is a mental health awareness program aimed at empowering members to recognise symptoms and seek support before issues escalate. Family members are also provided with ongoing care, including death notices in cases of suicide.

Despite these interventions, concerns about the adequacy of the EHW programme have led to a national audit and a workshop aimed at improving resources and strategies for mental health support. The results of these initiatives are yet to be fully realised, but a workplace study is currently underway to assess the EHW capacity at both provincial and national levels. This study will help ensure the EHW component is sufficiently funded and staffed to meet the growing demand for its services.

The EHW programme’s staffing remains a critical area of concern. The SAPS has set an ideal staffing ratio of one mental health professional per 500 officers, with chaplains assigned at a ratio of one per 1,000 officers. However, current staffing levels fall short of these targets, particularly in provinces like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, which report significant gaps in social workers, psychologists, and chaplains. Nationally, the gap in ideal staffing stands at 230 personnel, exacerbating the strain on an already overburdened programme.

Efforts to address these shortcomings include a number of proactive wellness initiatives. These include the “Choose Life” program, which encourages officers to seek help after traumatic events, and the “Multiple-Stressor Program” aimed at officers working in high-risk units. Additionally, the “Trauma Management Program” addresses the symptoms of ongoing trauma, while “Emotional and Psychological Readiness Sessions” prepare officers for potentially stressful events, such as protests and riots.

Despite these initiatives, the EHW programme continues to face significant challenges in fulfilling its mandate. The department has acknowledged the gaps in resources and staffing, promising that the findings from the recent workshop will be used to address these issues.

While the SAPS Employee Health and Wellness services have made strides in providing necessary mental health support, the service’s ability to prevent suicides and address the mental health crisis among its members depends on urgent and comprehensive improvements in resources, staffing, and the overall management of the programme. The continued rise in suicides among SAPS personnel indicates that more robust and timely interventions are needed to stem the tide of mental health struggles within the force.

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On Tuesday 6 August, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, “learned with shock the sad news of the passing of South African Police Service Anti-Gang Unit Member Sergeant Raoul Murray, who took his own life last week,” the Committee said in a statement.

“It is tragic that a dedicated officer, at only 38 years of age, can take his own life, robbing his family of a loved one and the country of a respected law enforcement official. The South African Police Service must do more to enhance the broad psycho-social assistance to its members to reduce suicide in the SAPS,” Cameron emphasised.

The death of Sergeant Murray comes directly after the Portfolio Committee on Police emphasised its concerns about the lack of adequate employee health and wellness interventions for SAPS members. The committee was briefed by the SAPS senior management that the entire SAPS structure has only 621 employed health and wellness employees, servicing about 187 278 personnel within SAPS.

“In the context of the high crime rate, especially violent crimes, SAPS members are faced with gruesome scenes that are bound to have a negative impact on their mental health. Resilience building and general support care should be a central pillar of the work of SAPS to ensure the mental wellbeing of officers expected to fight crime effectively,” Cameron said.

SAPS management also informed the committee that 33 suicides occurred within the SAPS in the 2019/20 financial year, 30 in the 2020/21 financial year and 39 in the 2021/22 financial year. Furthermore, 38 homicide–suicide incidents occurred from 2019 to 2022.

The committee had emphasised during the 2024/25 budget process that the continued disregard of this important element has a direct impact on the morale and effectiveness of SAPS members and their ability to fight crime.

“In a country encountering high crime statistics, it is a moral requirement that foot soldiers are broadly capacitated to effectively deal with crime. Without the adequate psycho-social support, members will be exposed to unmitigated mental stress that could lead to suicide. This must be urgently addressed,” Cameron said.

While the Chairperson acknowledged that the SAPS has partnerships with non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and health professionals linked to POLMED and GEMS medical aid schemes, the committee urged SAPS management to consider strengthening internal employee health and wellness programmes to ensure that the well-being of members is prioritised.

“The committee has committed to championing the plight of SAPS members to ensure that proactive employee health and wellness interventions are implemented,” it said.

According to recent reports from the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), at least 300 SAPS officers have committed suicide since 2017.

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