PRETORIA, Gauteng — Restoring public confidence in the South African Police Service (SAPS) requires a comprehensive overhaul of leadership accountability, according to Willem Els, a security expert at the Institute for Security Studies. This assessment comes in the wake of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision to withdraw charges against General Masimola, citing no reasonable prospects of prosecution—a development that stands in stark contrast to the continuing investigations and arrests of other senior police officials.
Els noted that the arrest of the country’s most senior police officer, alongside charges against other high-ranking officials, severely damages the morale of rank-and-file officers who rely on them for guidance. Furthermore, it exacerbates the existing erosion of public trust in law enforcement.
While the ongoing Madlanga Commission is unearthing critical information regarding senior officers, Els emphasized that investigations and arrests alone are insufficient. He stressed that securing actual convictions is the most vital step in restoring public confidence in both the police and the broader judiciary.
Addressing the fundamental question of the threshold for charging senior public officials, Els stressed that everyone is equal under the law, regardless of rank. However, he pointed out that a robust, dual-track process must be followed: investigators should build a primary case proving all elements of a crime before approaching the NPA, or the NPA should refer the docket back for further investigation if the evidence is weak. Els suggested this protocol was not adequately followed in the Masimola matter, resulting in “unbelievable” reputational damage to both the general and the SAPS as an institution.
With SAPS credibility repeatedly challenged by criminal investigations into its senior ranks, Els warned that “the fish rots from the head.” He highlighted the Minister’s recently announced reset of the police force, stressing that it must begin at the very top. All senior officers must be rigorously vetted and declared fit and clean to command, with this standard of integrity cascading all the way down to the constable level.
Els also pointed to a broader breakdown of internal discipline, noting that SAPS standing orders clearly prescribe step-by-step procedures and strict consequences for non-compliance. In recent years, adherence to these foundational orders has defaulted.
To rebuild public confidence, Els concluded that SAPS leadership must spearhead a decisive internal cleanup. This institutional reset must be supported by consistent arrests, thorough investigations, fair prosecutions, and definitive convictions, which remain the only viable pathway to restoring the public’s trust in the police.
