Concerns are mounting over corruption, infiltration by organised crime, and a deepening leadership crisis within the South African Police Service (SAPS), with evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission highlighting systemic rot in police leadership.
Good Governance Africa liaison and advocacy head Karam Singh has raised alarms about the level of corruption and infiltration in the criminal justice system. He noted that no national police commissioner in the past 18 years has escaped facing charges of misconduct or corruption. Singh pointed to the era of state capture, which included the militarisation of the police with military titles — a move he described as a mistake at odds with the Constitution’s democratic values. He added that the Zondo Commission addressed state capture but largely avoided police corruption, stating that “the chickens are coming home to roost” after decades of unresolved issues.
The situation has been compounded by the placement of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave and the appearance of suspended National Commissioner Fannie Masemola before the Pretoria High Court. These developments have intensified scrutiny of governance, accountability, and public trust in law enforcement.
Speaking on the crisis, crime and policing expert Dr Mxolisi Mathebula highlighted the negative impact on the limited trust communities still hold in the police. He referenced the 2016 White Paper on Policing and the National Policy on Policing of 2025, both of which emphasise professionalisation, ethical leadership, management, and governance. Mathebula noted that these documents, particularly the 2016 White Paper, were never implemented. He described many top SAPS leaders, in the form of generals, as “good examples of bad examples,” stating that senior leaders are failing to act as role models.
Mathebula pointed to Statistics South Africa data showing that citizens often do not bother reporting minor crimes because they believe police will do nothing. He warned that the infiltration of organised crime into SAPS severely compromises effective policing and community safety.
Leadership and governance expert Professor Mazwe Majola agreed that the low morale and public trust are concerning. He questioned where communities would turn for crime prevention, combating, and investigation if trust in the police continues to erode. Majola called for intentionality and decisiveness from the Minister of Police as political head and the National Commissioner as operational head, along with other senior leaders. He advocated for intensified lifestyle audits and vetting at senior levels, ethical leadership assessments, and ethics training for officers.
Reputation expert Tshepo Matseba described the situation as a significant crisis that undermines the perceived authority of policing. He warned of domestic consequences, including weakened law and order, reduced citizen confidence, and lower crime reporting. On the international front, Matseba said the revelations could deter investors, reinforcing perceptions of South Africa as a hub for money laundering post-State Capture, and damage “Brand South Africa” economically and socially. He emphasised the need for faster and more effective consequence management.
Mathebula described the rot as deep and long-standing, normalised over years due to a lack of consequence management. He noted that even generals — who should operate at a strategic level and support subordinates — have been implicated in befriending criminals, making it untenable for them to lead arrests. The Madlanga Commission has exposed involvement at senior “career policeman” levels rather than just junior ranks.
The experts stressed that while societal moral issues contribute, each sector, including policing, must enforce its own ethics standards through training, enforcement, modelling by leadership, and cascading a culture of integrity from the top down.
During the discussion, a caller named Makoko argued that solutions should not solely originate from the top but address issues on the ground, where communities experience crime directly and report problems that senior leadership fails to act upon.
The panel underscored that restoring trust will require decisive action on ethical leadership, accountability, and implementation of existing policy frameworks to rebuild the SAPS’s credibility.
