Deputy Minister Polly Boshielo: South African Police Service Dept Budget Vote 2025/26

House Chairperson
Members of Parliament
Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu
Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale
National Commissioner of Police, General Masemola
Heads of Entities
Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning!

Chairperson, IPID plays a critical oversight role which is key in our Ministry; their optimal performance and agility are particularly essential at this juncture. It is imperative that police misconduct and criminality become a thing of the past. Our officers are committed to ensuring that they uphold the rule of law, and in instances where they are not, IPID must exercise its legislative mandate.

IPID continues to operate independently, without fear, favour or prejudice. In the process IPID must do so in a corrective rather than a punitive manner.

House-chairperson

For the financial year 2025/26 the six key priorities for IPID are as follows:

• Reduction of Backlog cases
  IPID has enlisted the expertise of retired seasoned investigators to contribute to reducing its backlog. A budget of R844.5 million has been allocated to the Investigation and Provincial Coordination Programme, over a three-year period.
  This initiative will focus on the investigation of backlog cases in terms of Section 28(1)(a)-(h) of the IPID Act, which includes:

• Prioritisation of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) Cases
  In accordance with the President's declaration that GBV&F constitutes a national crisis, it will continue to be prioritized. A zero-tolerance approach will be adopted, and all perpetrators must be brought to book. In the financial year 2024/25, the following success were realised:

  • 92 cases of rape were finalised,

  • 21 departmental convictions

  • 11 criminal convictions were secured.
    Furthermore, in the current financial, more investigators will be up-skilled on the investigation of sexual offenses to decrease GBVF related cases in the SAPS.

• Establishment of Forensic Investigation Unit
  An in-house forensic investigation capability is crucial for improving the quality of investigations. This includes the recruitment of Financial Data Analysts, Cyber Forensic Experts, and Crime Analysts and the procurement of a Forensic Electronic system to enhance efficiency.

• Establishment of a Call Centre
  House Chairperson,
  To tackle communication and access challenges by our key stakeholders, IPID will establish a Call Centre to enable complainants to register their complaints and inquiries 24/7.

• Development of a new Case Management System
  The existing Case Management System will be upgraded in the current financial year to facilitate the categorization of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) cases. This enhancement aims to improve monitoring capabilities, ensure data security, and enhance performance reporting within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster, ultimately contributing to improved operational efficiency.

• Training and Capacity Development of IPID Employees
  IPID has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with various institutions to enhance the competencies of investigators. Planned interventions for the year 2025/26 include:

  • Crime Scene Management and Fraud with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

  • Cyber Forensic First Respondent, Procurement and Corruption with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

  • SASSETA provided funding for the training of investigators on the Internal Investigation course.

  • Executive Development Programme (EDP) and Risk Management for senior managers within the core programme through the National School of Government (NSG).

Chairperson, we remain steadfast in our commitment to combat crime and the well-being and development of our personnel.

In conclusion, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all heads of entities on their collaborative efforts in fulfilling the mandate of the JCPS cluster and ensuring citizens of South Africa are and feel safe. As the SAPS we will continue to stamp the authority of the state without fear or favour.

Chairperson I thank you!

#ServiceDeliveryZA