CAPE TOWN – Calls for greater accountability within the South African Police Service (SAPS) gained momentum last week after the national police leadership announced plans to conduct lifestyle audits on senior officials, a move welcomed by Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais.

On Monday (25 May) she said the audits were long overdue and echoed previous calls by the Western Cape Government for stronger accountability measures within the police service.

“South Africans deserve a police service that is beyond reproach. Lifestyle audits are a necessary tool to ensure that senior officers entrusted with significant authority and influence are acting with integrity and are not compromised by criminal networks or corrupt relationships. We are happy to see that the SAPS and Police Ministry are finally taking this matter seriously,” she said.

Transparency and accountability needed

The audits were announced by Acting National Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane amid continued allegations involving senior police officers across the country.

According to Marais the allegations have further damaged public confidence in law-enforcement institutions and highlighted the need for urgent reform within the police service.

“Transparency and accountability are essential if we are to rebuild confidence in the police. Communities will not come forward with information if they believe corruption exists within the very structures meant to protect them.”

She also welcomed the announcement by Acting Minister of Police Prof Firoz Cachalia a police advisory panel would be established to assist with reforms within the police service.

The announcement on lifestyle audits was also welcomed in Parliament last week during a meeting of the Select Committee on Security and Justice, where the police service briefed MPs on its 2026-’27 budget and annual performance plan.

At the meeting Dimpane confirmed the State Security Agency was already conducting lifestyle audits on lieutenant-generals, with plans to extend the process to major-generals as part of what the police service described as a broader “reset agenda” aimed at restoring its public credibility.

Committee chairperson Jane Mananiso said the police service was facing significant challenges following revelations emerging from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and parliamentary investigations.

“This will require the service to realign and reposition itself to ensure its police officers who remain are committed and capable of fighting crime.

“It has exposed the ethics within the police service that they have been eroded. Whether senior, junior or in the middle everybody now could be called to appear. We applaud you for taking training and development seriously as one of the key interventions to restore morality within the police service.”

Members of the committee also raised concerns about corruption within the security cluster, with MPs questioning how many senior police officers had undergone lifestyle audits and whether any investigations had already resulted in suspensions, disciplinary action or criminal prosecutions.

Responding to MPs, Dimpane said the audits formed part of efforts to rebuild public confidence in the police.

“Indeed, this is what the reset agenda is all about,” she said, “and it starts with accountability.”

Fight against corruption continues

The parliamentary meeting also heard that police had identified the fight against corruption and the implementation of recommendations from the Madlanga Commission as priorities for the new financial year.

Among the reforms discussed were tighter controls within the Central Firearms Registry, the rollout of body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras, upgrades to police technology systems and efforts to address ongoing problems with the ageing SAPS vehicle fleet.

Marais said meaningful reform remained urgently needed, adding that the current structure of police was not effectively winning the fight against violent and organised crime.

“The reality is that the police, in its current form, is not winning the fight against violent and organised crime. Fundamental reform, professionalisation, improved intelligence capability, the expansion of intelligence and investigative capacity to municipal level and stronger internal accountability mechanisms are urgently required if we are to reverse the tide of criminality facing communities across our country.”