SAPS Budget 2025: Mchunu targets GBV, corruption, and high-crime zones with R120 billion plan
Image: Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says South Africa's policing system is undergoing a strategic overhaul aimed at improving crime prevention, restoring public trust, and modernising police operations.
Tabling the Budget Vote for the 2025/26 financial year in Parliament, Mchunu laid out a R120.89 billion allocation for the South African Police Service (SAPS), Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
''While we welcome and appreciate the allocation, we are under no illusion about the scale of the task ahead. Crime is adaptive, dynamic, and, in many cases, well-financed — and so must our response be.'
Mchunu outlined nine key crime-fighting priorities, including reducing the murder rate, fighting gender-based violence, tackling illegal firearms and drugs, and rooting out corruption within the SAPS.
"Our commitment is to lead a police service that protects the vulnerable, disrupts criminality, and restores trust," he said.
Mchunu noted that four provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape, remain the primary focus due to high crime levels.
''It is clear that identified high crime zones in all four provinces require intelligence-led targeted deployment of specialised units to combat criminality.' He also confirmed that 225 hotspot police stations have been identified for synchronised interventions.
Mchunu said visible Policing will receive over 53% of the total budget, while Detective Services will account for nearly 20%. Compensation of employees remains the largest cost driver, making up more than 80% of the budget.
He also confirmed that 5,500 new police trainees will be enlisted in January 2026 to maintain the personnel complement of 188,000.
A total of R219.2 million has been allocated for securing the G20 conference in November 2025, R400 million for the 2026 Local Government Elections, and R34.8 million for costs related to the appointment of an additional Deputy Minister. Furthermore, R150 million is being shifted to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) to support its anti-corruption partnerships.
Community policing is also getting a boost, with R28 million allocated to Community Policing Forums and R8.5 million for public awareness campaigns, he said.
To address Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV+F), a total of R1.6 billion will be spent, including R1.5 billion for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units. Mchunu said, 'The country is gripped and aggrieved by GBV+F, as its prevalence has reached distressing levels.'
Moreover, Mchunu said to modernise operations, R670 million will be invested in building and upgrading police stations, while R20 million will fund mobile Community Service Centres. and R45 million on police station maintenance.
Mchunu highlighted the role of partnerships with the private sector, particularly with Business Against Crime South Africa. Projects include piloting automated police stations, expanding forensic labs, and integrating SAPS systems with private sector technologies.
SAPS will also roll out drones, body-worn cameras, and digital tools to enhance public safety and investigative capacity, he said.
Mchunu highlighted the role of partnerships with the private sector, particularly with Business Against Crime South Africa. Projects include piloting automated police stations, expanding forensic labs, and integrating SAPS systems with private sector technologies.
"The SAPS continues to advance its modernisation agenda through the deployment of strategic technology solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, situational awareness, and public safety," Mchunu said.
Addressing corruption within police ranks, Mchunu confirmed, 'We have taken a defined stance against corruption within the SAPS and we unequivocally state that there is no tolerance for corruption.' This includes recent arrests of senior officials in Crime Intelligence.
Human resources are being restructured, with new recruitment strategies, leadership development, and incentives. A new Detective Critical Skills Allowance of R1,000 per month will be introduced from October 2025 to retain skilled investigators. Additionally, 200 former detectives will be re-enlisted and more contract appointments made, said Mchunu.
Furthermore, the DPCI will ramp up efforts against corruption, cybercrime, and unresolved Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases.
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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Mchunu said of the total allocation, R219.2 million was for securing the G20 conference scheduled for November, R400m for the 2026 local government elections, and R34.8m to support the costs associated with the appointment of an additional deputy minister as well as R150m for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). The salaries and benefits of employees take a huge chunk of the total budget. The minister said they have prioritised budget allocation to Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape, where crime is concentrated. 'It is clear that identified high crime zones in all four provinces require intelligence-led targeted deployment of specialised units to combat criminality, over and above Operation Shanela. A total of 225 hotspot police stations have been identified, demanding targeted and synchronised interventions." A total of R85 million has been allocated to support the top 30 high-contact crime stations. MK Party MP David Skosana said South Africans were betrayed by the institutions meant to safeguard them. 'SAPS and IPID fail in their mandate to protect and be held accountable,' he said. Skosana said SAPS was supposed to serve the people, but there were horrifying crimes against women and children, while the detection rate for murder was at a critically low level. 'This budget, if passed in the current form, is a death sentence. Thousands of South Africans will continue to be failed by the State.' Skosana observed that R72bn was channelled towards administration, R24bn to detectives, and R1.7bn to the forensic science laboratories. EFF MP Leigh-Ann Mathys said SAPS was a criminal syndicate where there was institutionalised criminality. 'If there is no urgent reform, there is nothing that is going to happen. You can hire as many more young recruits, these young recruits will be recruited into criminality that is deeply embedded in SAPS,' Mathys said. 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The DPCI will also undertake a comprehensive recruitment drive in 2025/26 with internal advertisement of 300 posts through a post-promotion process, 250 police trainees with qualifications in law, forensic investigation, and information technology will be placed within the directorate. 'The DPCI has also advertised 85 posts externally and plans to advertise a further 175 posts to capacitate the DPCI, including to attract skills such as forensic accountants, IT specialists, and financial investigators.' Mchunu added that before the end of this year, a temporary forensic science laboratory would be functional in KwaZulu-Natal. 'It will be helpful in terms of reducing backlogs that pile up in Gauteng,' he said. Mchunu also mentioned that negotiations were under way with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to establish an additional forensic science laboratory. 'We hope this will go a long way to meet our obligations,' he added.
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