The Eastern Cape is facing a crisis in public confidence as corruption within the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to rise unchecked. Shocking new figures reveal that 21 Eastern Cape SAPS members were charged with corruption in the previous financial year. This is more than five times the number charged just three years ago.
Behind every statistic is a community left more vulnerable, and a resident left wondering whether they can still trust the very officers sworn to protect them. Officers who abuse their positions for personal gain compromise investigations and destroy lives.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that the rising tide of police corruption in the Eastern Cape demands urgent and uncompromising action. We cannot build safer communities while corrupt officers continue to operate with impunity.
We demand a full-scale, independent investigation into systemic corruption within SAPS and the immediate suspension of any officer facing criminal charges until their cases are resolved.
In response to a parliamentary question, Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha confirmed that from 2021 to 2025, a total of 54 SAPS officials were charged with corruption in the Eastern Cape. Not one of them has been convicted in court.
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Even more disturbing is that six officials found guilty in internal disciplinary processes have been allowed to return to duty. This includes two captains and a warrant officer. In multiple cases, the worst punishment officers received was suspension without pay.
Despite the public’s justified outrage, SAPS leadership continues to rely on vague assurances and ineffective interventions. While the Department lists tools like the Anti-Corruption Hotline and the MySAPS App, it has failed to demonstrate how these have led to successful prosecutions or measurable outcomes.
The DA will be submitting a formal complaint to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), requesting a full performance and consequence management audit of all corruption cases within the province since 2021.
I will also write to the Community Safety portfolio committee chair, Tumeka Gaya, to request that the Provincial Commissioner appear before the Legislature to account for this failure to uphold accountability within the ranks.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve a police service that is trustworthy, transparent, and professional. Restoring integrity within SAPS is a policy and moral imperative. Every citizen deserves to feel safe, not suspicious, when they see the blue lights of a patrol vehicle.
The DA remains committed to rooting out corruption, protecting honest officers, and restoring dignity to policing in the Eastern Cape. The people of this province deserve leadership that delivers and a future built on safety, integrity, and honest government.