JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — A profound crisis of confidence in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is driving a massive decline in formal crime reporting, according to the latest Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The comprehensive data reveals that more than half of all criminal incidents are now left unreported by households, underscoring a severe breakdown in public trust and highlighting the urgent need for systemic policing reforms to restore community safety.
The survey paints a stark picture of daily life for ordinary citizens, showing that fear heavily dictates public movement. While 80.7% of South Africans report feeling safe walking during daylight hours, that sense of security plummets to just 37.9% after dark. Women are disproportionately impacted, expressing significantly higher levels of fear when alone at night. Consequently, more than half of the population now takes independent steps to protect themselves, a reality that Action Society Chief Operating Officer Juanita Du Preez describes as deeply troubling for a modern democracy.
Du Preez emphasized that these findings are not merely matters of perception, but reflections of lived experiences. She questioned why, in 2026, citizens feel forced to shoulder the burden of their own safety when they already fund a police service mandated to provide protection.
This disconnect is most visible in property crime statistics. The survey indicates that housebreaking has impacted over one million households, yet only approximately 48% of these victims formally report the incidents. Du Preez explained that the criminal justice process is widely viewed as futile. Victims are forced to relive their trauma at police stations to open dockets, only to face a system where arrests are rare, cases rarely reach court, and justice is seldom served. While some previously reported crimes solely to secure an insurance case number, the lack of tangible outcomes has led to widespread apathy, particularly among those without insurance coverage.
Public sentiment strongly corroborates the survey’s findings. In a recent viewer poll asking what prevents individuals from reporting crimes, a staggering 86% cited a fundamental lack of trust in the police. Additional deterrents included fear of retaliation (7%), the belief that the reporting process is excessively lengthy (6%), and the perception that the incident was not serious enough to warrant official attention (1%).
This distrust is further fueled by specific systemic failures highlighted by the public. Viewers noted that official crime stats become dangerously skewed when citizens stay silent, tricking the government into a false sense of security. Others pointed to chilling revelations from the Madlanga Commission, where police officials allegedly disclosed whistleblowers’ addresses to criminals, as well as widespread allegations of police collusion with cartels. Some citizens even expressed a desire for leadership changes, suggesting that figures like General Khunzi, who has garnered public trust and solidarity, should be considered for national commissioner roles to help rebuild institutional credibility.
The data also raises alarming questions about gender-based violence (GBV). The survey noted an increase in assaults affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals, with intimate partners accounting for a much larger share of violence against women than against men. Du Preez pointed out a critical contradiction: despite GBV being declared a national disaster in December of the previous year, recent official crime releases continue to omit specific, detailed statistics on crimes targeting women and children. Without this data, it is impossible to measure whether government prevention efforts are actually working.
Looking toward solutions, Du Preez stressed that abandoning the formal reporting system is not the answer, as it only masks the true scale of the crisis. Citizens must continue to report crimes to ensure the government sees an accurate picture of the country’s safety. However, this must be met with decisive action from the state.
Action Society is advocating for a shift away from a failing “one-size-fits-all” national strategy. Instead, Du Preez pointed to the Western Cape’s localized policing model—specifically initiatives like Operation Prosper and concentrated station-level campaigns—as proof of concept. In these areas, resources are allocated directly to local problems, resulting in more visible policing, better preventative measures, and improved outcomes.
To truly rebuild public trust, Du Preez concluded, accountability must be brought closer to the communities it serves. When police leadership is visible, accessible, and directly responsible for local outcomes, citizens are far more likely to view the SAPS as a legitimate partner in public safety rather than an institution to be avoided.
