The leadership crisis in the South African Police Service

What can be done to address the long-standing turmoil at the top of the SAPS?

Date: 2025-07-23

Time: 18:30 to 20:00

Venue: Online via Zoom

Shortly after the SAPS crime intelligence head and six of his senior officers were arrested for fraud and corruption, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner accused the police minister and a deputy national commissioner of corruption.

Parliamentary and judicial inquiries into the crisis are about to commence, and a new police minister will assume office in August. As far back as 2012, the National Development Plan identified ‘serial crises of top leadership in the police’. What should have been done to rectify the situation, and what are the current priorities?

This online event is co-hosted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CIPLO) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

Moderator: Mike Pothier, Programme Manager, CIPLO

Panelists:

• Cardinal Stephen Brislin, President, Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference
• Prof Sandy Africa, Research Director, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA)
• Ian Cameron, Chairperson, Portfolio Committee on Police, National Assembly
• Gareth Newham, Head, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS