Officers appeared in court this week for business robbery
Image: SAPS
The latest Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) report has revealed a troubling trend within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Municipal Police Service (MPS) - officers are not just failing to uphold the law, but in some cases, actively engaging in organised crime.
The findings suggest that law enforcement is no longer merely battling external criminal threats but is being infiltrated by rogue officers who use their positions for personal gain.
Among the revelations in the report are incidents where police officers were implicated in business robberies.
These crimes, which often involve armed attacks on businesses, suggest a level of coordination that raises serious concerns about the extent of corruption within the force.
The report does not provide exact figures for these cases but notes that some of these robberies resulted in fatalities, with the deaths classified under “deaths as a result of police action.”
Incidents of this nature were recorded in multiple provinces, indicating that this is not an isolated problem but rather a growing national crisis.
Recent cases paint an even more alarming picture. On October 1, 2024, three officers from Nyanga SAPS Vispol B Relief were involved in a business robbery at a shop in Mfuleni while on duty, dressed in full uniform, and driving a marked state vehicle.
The officers allegedly stole R5 600 in cash along with cigarettes worth R6 930.
Tracking data from the police vehicle, along with cellphone records, placed them at the crime scene.
Initially investigated by Mfuleni’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the case was later handed over to the Anti-Corruption Unit, leading to their arrests just as they were about to start their night shift.
They are set to appear in court once charged.
Police members have been put under the spotlight in the latest IPID report
Image: File
This incident followed another high-profile case in Cape Town, where four police officers were arrested in connection with a R20 million jewellery heist in Llandudno.
The officers were allegedly part of an eight-member syndicate that used official SAPS uniforms and vehicles to carry out house robberies in affluent suburbs.
These cases raise serious questions about how deep police involvement in organized crime goes and whether the necessary oversight mechanisms exist to detect and prevent it.
Beyond business robberies, some officers have also been linked to hijackings and other violent crimes, further fueling fears that criminal syndicates have embedded themselves within police structures.
The report highlights that police officers, by virtue of their training and access to sensitive intelligence, are in a unique position to either facilitate or directly commit these offenses.
Their knowledge of investigations, crime scene procedures, and patrol routes gives them an advantage that ordinary criminals do not possess.
The rise of officers engaging in serious crimes points to deeper systemic issues.
A total of 79 cases of corruption were reported during the 2023/24 period. Additional cases of defeating the ends of justice suggest that some officers are not only committing crimes but also actively working to cover them up, potentially obstructing investigations against their colleagues or assisting syndicates in avoiding capture.
IPID’s findings come at a critical moment, as the police watchdog itself undergoes reforms aimed at strengthening its investigative and oversight capabilities.
However, with only 241 police officers arrested for various offenses in the past year, questions remain about whether enough is being done to hold rogue officers accountable. Arrests do not necessarily translate into convictions, and without tangible consequences, corrupt officers may continue to act with impunity.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za
Weekend Argus