In a revelation made before the Select Committee on 15 October, the Deputy Minister disclosed that SAPS will no longer be bound by SITA’s outdated systems, which have for years crippled technological innovation and slowed police responsiveness. The Deputy. Minister further confirmed that the Minister of Finance has approved SAPS’s request to procure a new independent service provider for its ICT systems.

In a statement the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it has long maintained that SITA has become a digital bottleneck, a stumbling block to modern governance that has left departments like SAPS and Home Affairs trapped in inefficiency, corruption, and technological decay.

“This confirmation is a victory not just for the DA’s consistent oversight efforts, but more importantly, for the millions of South Africans who rely on functional, tech-enabled police stations for their safety and security,” said Mzamo Billy, DA NCOP Member on Select Committee on Security & Justice.

The Deputy Minister also revealed that she was part of the recent official delegation to China, where she was introduced to cutting-edge police technology systems. These innovations, including smart surveillance, integrated case-tracking, and data-driven policing models, highlight the urgent need for South Africa to embrace next-generation digital policing tools to strengthen investigations, accelerate case turnaround times, and improve community safety outcomes.

The DA now calls on the Minister of Police to ensure that this transition to a new ICT provider is transparent, corruption-free, and prioritises service delivery over political patronage, and will pose written questions to the Minister to ensure that transparency is kept.

“This move must translate into practical upgrades at the station level from rural KwaZulu-Natal to the Free State and Eastern Cape, where communities have suffered most, due to outdated systems, broken communication tools, and unreliable databases. This can be a turning point for South African policing. It comes at a time when SAPS has an opportunity to press the reset button,” the DA said.

The party will continue to use its parliamentary oversight role to monitor the implementation of this decision, ensuring that the separation from SITA leads “to real improvements in frontline policing, not just another costly government restructuring exercise.”

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Committee Chairperson, Ms Jane Seboletswe Mananiso, said the recommendation to withhold her remuneration is in terms of the Magistrates Act.

She went on to say that the recommendation follows its consideration of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development’s report, tabled in Parliament on 1 July 2025. This report, dated 26 June 2025, was based on advice from the Magistrates Commission following an extended period of unauthorised absence by Ms Fredericks since November 2019, during which she continued to receive full remuneration.

The committee previously heard that, the matter was brought to the Commission’s attention in April 2024, when the Secretary of the Commission learned of Ms Fredericks’ prolonged absence during a departmental leave management meeting. Subsequent investigations confirmed her continued absence from her duties at the Booysens Magistrate’s Court, with no official permission or satisfactory explanation provided.

Following a series of internal processes—including attempts to engage Ms Fredericks, legal consultations, and correspondence with the Department of Social Development—the Magistrates Commission resolved in June 2025 to recommend a disciplinary hearing and to advise the Minister that provisional suspension and the withholding of remuneration were warranted.

Ms Mananiso said the committee found that as Ms Fredericks has been absent from duty since November 2019 without authorisation; while continuing to receive full remuneration, her absence has adversely affected the functioning of the court and the administration of justice. Despite being offered the opportunity to respond, Ms Fredericks failed to make any representations to the Commission. All reasonable avenues to resolve the matter were exhausted before a recommendation was made.

She said the committee resolved to recommend that: “Having considered the Minister’s Report concerning the provisional suspension from office of Ms Fredericks, pending the outcome of a hearing into her fitness to hold office as a magistrate, the Committee recommends that the NCOP confirm the provisional suspension of Ms Fredericks. The committee further recommends that the NCOP resolves to confirm the determination to withhold Ms Fredericks remuneration pending the outcome of the hearing into her fitness to hold office as a magistrate,” emphasised the Chairperson.

The committee also adopted the reports on two other magistrates. The committee recommended to the NCOP confirm the provisional suspension from office of Ms TF Kekana, an additional District Court Magistrate at Secunda, Mpumalanga pending the outcome of a misconduct hearing into her fitness to hold office as a magistrate.

Ms Mananiso said the committee also recommended that the NCOP resolves not to restore Ms N Naudé, an additional magistrate in the district court at Kimberley, to the office.

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