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The Citizen
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
‘Police are the chief criminal syndicate': Saps R120bn budget criticised by MPs
Members of Parliament expressed their concerns about corruption in the police service. MPs have sharply criticised the police's budget, with several voicing concerns over persistent corruption in the South African Police Service (Saps). On Friday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented the department's budget for the 2025-2026 financial year at the Good Hope Chamber in Cape Town. The presentation was followed by a debate in which MPs scrutinised both the spending plan and annual performance targets. Mchunu tables Saps budget In his address, Mchunu highlighted the police's key priorities, which include reducing the murder rate, tackling gang violence, addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and rooting out corruption. To support these goals, he said several critical enablers had been identified to bolster the crime-fighting strategy. These include strengthening crime intelligence, enhancing forensic services and upgrading infrastructure such as police stations. 'This budget is about improved policing,' Mchunu told MPs. The total allocation for Saps stands at R120.89 billion. ALSO READ: 'No arrest warrant for police crime boss Fannie Masemola', IDAC says Specific allocations include R219.2 million to secure the G20 conference in November 2025, R400 million for the 2026 local government elections and R34.8 million to cover the appointment of an additional deputy minister. Additionally, R150 million is being reallocated from Saps' operational budget to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks. Mchunu also announced the recruitment of 5 500 new police trainees in January 2026. 'Additionally, 250 police trainees with qualifications in law, forensic investigation and information technology will be placed in the directorate [Hawks] upon completion of their training.' Watch the budget vote debate below: The minister emphasised the need for targeted, intelligence-led deployments in high-crime zones across four provinces, including Gauteng and the Western Cape. He highlighted that R85 million was earmarked for the top 30-plus five high-contact crime stations. Community engagement efforts will receive R28 million for community policing forums (CPFs) and R8.5 million for initiatives such as imbizos. A significant R1.6 billion is allocated to combat GBVF. Infrastructure investment includes R670 million for constructing and upgrading police stations, R20 million for procuring and converting vehicles to enhance mobile service centres and R45 million for day-to-day maintenance of existing facilities. Saps budget criticised While ANC MP Erald Cloete expressed support for the budget, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party MP David Skosana rejected the spending plan, saying that South Africans were being 'betrayed by the very same institutions meant to safeguard them'. He accused both Saps and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) of failing in their mandates. Skosana likened the country's crime levels to a war zone and condemned the lack of accountability. 'It is a chilling indictment of a police service that has lost control,' he said on Friday. He warned that if the budget is passed, it would amount to a 'death sentence' for citizens. Skosana also said Ipid's annual performance targets, particularly regarding rape and corruption cases, were 'laughable', 'inadequate' and reflected what he described as an under-resourced institution. He highlighted Ipid's backlog of 10 500 cases and slammed its proposed R428.6 million budget. 'Only R9 million was allocated for forensic investigators. We are essentially throwing a glass of water on a forest fire. [It is] pure strategic failure.' READ MORE: Police sergeant arrested in Kamogelo Baukudi kidnapping case issued suspension letter The MK party member further took aim at Saps' administrative budget. 'R72 billion is set aside for administration, much of which goes to a bloated management structure and a system that seems more interested in sustaining itself than saving the public.' Moreover, Skosana condemned the lack of a concrete strategy to fight internal corruption. 'The so-called lifestyle audits mentioned in the budget are nothing more than a PR exercise. 'Officers implicated in criminality continue to rise through the ranks, protected by political connections and institutionalised silence.' He called for urgent action to reduce case and DNA backlogs, hire more officers and tackle corruption effectively. 'Chief criminal syndicate' Democratic Alliance MP Lisa‐Maré Schickerling also criticised the budget, calling it 'obscene' in the face of the police's declining credibility and rising crime statistics. 'One must ask, are we funding public safety or institutional failure? The reality on the ground is devastating,' she said. Schickerling raised alarm over South Africa's high GBV rates and Ipid's plan to only address 35 rape cases this year. 'That's not a plan, that's an admission of defeat and a resignation letter addressed to every woman that the system has failed.' Despite her concerns, she acknowledged there were some positives in the proposed budget. EFF MP Leigh‐Ann Mathys also rejected the budget, expressing scepticism that it would lead to any real reduction in crime. 'Minister, even if we add your President [Cyril] Ramaphosa's Phala Phala dollars, it is not going to help,' she said. READ MORE: Corruption crisis deepens within Gauteng police force Mathys warned that the reported dysfunction in Saps was a 'tip of the iceberg'. 'If we continue down this path, South Africa is going to lead the world in committing mob justice purely because the police are the chief criminal syndicate,' the EFF MP said. 'We have a history of high-ranking Saps officials caught with their hands in the cookie jar of corruption,' Mathys added. IFP MP Russel Cebekhulu echoed concerns about police corruption, referring to recent arrests of senior crime intelligence officers, including the division's head, Dumisani Khumalo. 'This undermines public trust and threatens the integrity of policing in South Africa,' Cebekhulu said.
IOL News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
SAPS Budget 2025: Mchunu targets GBV, corruption, and high-crime zones with R120 billion plan
Police Minister Senzo announces sweeping reforms to strengthen visible policing, invest in digital tools, and tackle gender-based violence, signalling a bold shift in SAPS strategy for the 2025/26 financial year 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.
