President Cyril Ramaphosa says rebuilding public confidence in the South African Police Service (SAPS) must go hand in hand with rooting out corruption and criminality within the law enforcement agency.
In his weekly newsletter on Monday, the President said South Africans have a right to know that those entrusted with fighting crime are not themselves working with criminals.
The comments come as the country continues to follow proceedings at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality and Political Interference in the Criminal Justice System, headed by Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
“The allegations that have been made about criminal infiltration, corruption and political interference in parts of our criminal justice system are deeply disturbing.
“South Africans are entitled to know the truth. They are entitled to know that those entrusted with fighting crime are not themselves working with criminals,” President Ramaphosa said.
President Ramaphosa said the Madlanga Commission must be allowed to conduct its work thoroughly and without interference, adding that wrongdoing must have consequences.
“The Commission must be allowed to do its work thoroughly and without fear, favour or interference. Where wrongdoing is established, there must be consequences. Where crimes have been committed, the law must take its course,” he said.
The President was reflecting on the state of policing in South Africa following the South African Police Service National Commemoration Day, which was held on Sunday to honour police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty over the past year.
He said 12 police officers died in the line of duty in the 12 months to March this year – half the number recorded in the previous year.
“Although this is half as many deaths as the year before, even one death of a SAPS member is one too many,” he said.
President Ramaphosa paid tribute to police officers, who continue to serve under difficult and dangerous circumstances, saying the SAPS remains at the forefront of efforts to keep the country safe.
This includes visible policing, as well as operations targeting illegal mining, cable theft, infrastructure vandalism, smuggling, counterfeiting, human trafficking and other priority crimes.
The President said the SAPS has more than 180 000 members, alongside more than 3 000 police reservists, who respond to calls for help, investigate crimes, search for missing children and confront gangs and organised crime.
“For every incompetent or corrupt SAPS member, there are many thousands more who are not. Most SAPS members serve with honour and embody the values of the badge they wear.
“We should never allow the wrongdoing of some to diminish the service of the many,” he said.
At the same time, President Ramaphosa said government must act against those who bring the police service into disrepute.
“The alleged infiltration of the SAPS by criminals and vested interests, supported by corrupt members, must not be allowed to define the SAPS, nor should the actions of a corrupt few be allowed to define the many thousands of police officers who serve our country with honesty and courage.”
Restoring trust
The President said public confidence in the police remains a significant challenge.
He cited the 2025/2026 Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey published by Statistics South Africa, which found that victims sometimes do not report crimes because they believe “the police would not do anything about it”.
“We cannot dismiss this sentiment as simply a perception. We must take it seriously. Trust is one of the most important weapons we have in the fight against crime,” he said.
President Ramaphosa said communities need to know that when they report crimes, they will be treated with respect and that their cases will receive the attention they deserve.
He stressed that confidence in the police cannot simply be demanded but must be earned through effective policing.
“We must also recognise that confidence cannot be demanded. It has to be earned. It is earned when a telephone call is answered, when a police vehicle arrives, when a case is properly investigated and when a victim is treated with dignity.
“Above all, it is earned when criminals are arrested, prosecuted and brought to justice.”
Strengthening the SAPS
President Ramaphosa said government is working to strengthen the SAPS through increased capacity, including the service’s recruitment drive, Project 11 000.
The next intake of 5 500 constables will soon enter training academies.
However, he said building a capable police service requires more than increasing personnel numbers.
“Strengthening the police is not only about increasing numbers. It is about ensuring that we recruit the right people, give them the right training, equip them properly and place them where they are most needed."
The President said government will continue to professionalise the SAPS and make policing a career of choice for talented South Africans.
He said psychometric and integrity testing now form part of the first phase of recruitment before prospective recruits proceed to fitness, vetting, medical and other stages.
“Policing requires something more. It requires character. It requires discipline, and above all, it requires integrity."
President Ramaphosa said there can be no place in the police service for criminals, corruption or political interference.
“There can be no place in the SAPS for criminals. There can be no place for corruption, and there can be no place for political interference in the work of the police."
He also called for stronger crime intelligence, better detective work, improved forensic capabilities and greater use of technology, alongside police stations that function effectively, and greater police visibility in communities.
Building safer communities
President Ramaphosa said building an effective and accountable police service is a responsibility shared by society, including through participation in community policing forums, becoming a reservist and reporting crime.
“Government carries the primary responsibility for keeping people safe, but the police cannot defeat crime without the support and cooperation of communities."
He also recognised businesses, community policing forums, neighbourhood organisations, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and ordinary citizens, who support efforts to make communities safer.
The President said South Africa still has significant work to do to build a safe, secure and peaceful society.
“The task before us is clear. We must be relentless in pursuing criminals, and we must be equally relentless in ensuring that criminality and corruption have no place within the institutions that are meant to protect us."
He said the two objectives – fighting crime and rooting out corruption – are inseparable.
“These two tasks go together. We cannot build public confidence in the police unless we root out corruption. And we cannot defeat crime unless the police have the confidence and cooperation of the public."
President Ramaphosa concluded by paying tribute to the country’s police officers, who continue to serve communities.
“To the many thousands of police officers who get up each day, put on their uniforms and go out to serve our communities: we thank you.
“We honour those who have fallen. We support those who continue to serve, and we will continue the work of building a police service that is professional, capable, honest and worthy of the trust of the South African people,” the President said. - SAnews.gov.za
