Parliament’s security and justice watchdog has delivered a scathing assessment of the South African Police Service, revealing a 35.71% surge in material audit findings despite six consecutive years of clean financial statements.
The Select Committee on Security and Justice yesterday concluded its review of SAPS’s 2025/26 annual report, exposing what chairperson Jane Mananiso described as severe governance and performance delivery failures masked by financial cleanliness.
The Auditor-General found material findings on reported performance information jumped from 14 to 19 between audit cycles, with crucial data on emergency call centres, firearm recoveries and detective detection rates either overstated, unverifiable or materially inaccurate.
“Adequate supporting evidence was frequently absent, causing reported achievements in vital operational areas to be overstated,” Mananiso said, highlighting the absence of proof for claims about 10111 emergency call centre handle ratios, firearm recovery numbers and detective detection rates.
Systematic failures plague police operations
The committee identified a new material irregularity concerning the Investigation Case Docket Management System, which remains ineffective and underutilised. This compounds existing material irregularities tied to forensic examination delays, unlawful detentions exceeding 48 hours and struggling 10111 command centres.
“Severe control breakdowns continue to plague internal administration and operations, supply chain management and consequence management,” Mananiso said.
Non-compliance with procurement regulations drove up irregular expenditure, exposing what the committee termed a systematic failure to implement preventative controls and post-audit action plans.
Technology and capacity crisis
Committee members raised alarm about technology deficiencies that directly impact crime-fighting capability and public safety. “The SAPS must look at the whole ecosystem of digitising its workflow. They must procure a system that is fit for purpose and that is integrated,” Mananiso said.
The committee noted acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia’s admission that performance targets must be realistic, suggesting current benchmarks may be unattainable given SAPS’s operational constraints.
Several members urged SAPS to prioritise Community Policing Forums, which assist with ground-level crime prevention but have been neglected.
New funding under scrutiny
While Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana allocated R186 million to boost investigations and forensic capacity, the committee demanded these funds address immediate challenges including fleet management turnaround times.
“The committee will closely monitor how these funds are spent,” Mananiso warned, calling for urgent accountability regarding lifestyle audits, staff vacancies and friction between SAPS and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
The committee requested a post-audit action plan addressing all commitments made during the meeting and insisted on rigorous internal reforms, particularly considering testimonies from the Madlanga Commission and parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee.
“We expect a drastic improvement in future audit outcomes,” Mananiso said.
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