Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Roy Jankielsohn MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by revelations that 29 South African Police Service (SAPS) members in the Free State have taken their own lives between 2021 and 2025. This shocking statistic, confirmed in a reply to a question in the Free State Legislature by the MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Mr Jabu Mbalula, is a clear indication of the dire state of police support in the province.
Oversight visits to SAPS stations and interactions with individual members of the SAPS indicate that they are working under very stressful conditions. Officers are expected to deliver results while working with severely inadequate resources such as vehicles, computers, printers and basic equipment. They operate in dilapidated buildings that undermine professionalism and are often subjected to bullying, victimisation and a complete lack of empathy from senior management.
Other stressful conditions officers face include:
- A lack of trauma management and early retirement packages for those working under the most stressful environments.
- Lack of promotions and a poor outlook for career improvements, while nepotism and underqualified seniors remain a problem.
- Stressful work environments, long hours and forced transfers place pressure on families of SAPS members.
- High case-loads with unreasonable pressure to perform detections and arrests. SAPS detectives, including specialised units, have average caseloads of 395 dockets per person, while the ideal number is 100 dockets per person.
- A violent and negative work environment, facing crime scenes, victims and criminals on a daily basis.
The lack of ongoing training and support has limited the effectiveness of the SAPS to the extent that many law-abiding residents are losing trust in the SAPS to win the battle against crime. It is clear that urgent intervention is needed to restore dignity, support and professionalism to the SAPS, and to ensure that those tasked with protecting residents are not themselves left abandoned and broken by the system.