Ipid reveals 928 crimes by officers including rape, prompting calls to name shame and suspend dirty cops betraying public trust.
An approximate 30 rape cases against the Gauteng police are not a true reflection of the situation, say experts.
They were reacting to the 2024-25 annual report from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), which revealed there were 27 alleged rape cases involving police in Gauteng.
27 alleged Gauteng police rape cases
The figures included members of the South African Police Service (Saps), municipal police departments and traffic officials.
According to the report, the overall number of crime cases involving law enforcement officers for the period was 928.
Gender-based violence activist Sihle Sibisi, from Kwanele Foundation, said: “The police had failed women and the people who were in charge of Saps because behind the uniform is a human being.
“And it means these police officers had not been thoroughly assessed or scrutinised to see if they are fit for the job”.
Sibisi said the situation was worse than what was disclosed because police have access to dockets and can make them disappear.
“The recorded figures are not a true reflection of the situation.
Figures hide true scale
“Obviously, they are going to try and make the issue look like it is not that rampant, fearing the public might get angry with the police.
“Remember we are approaching election time; they will not want to show the real truth of the dirt that’s happening.”
Sibisi said the statistics send a message that women must not trust the police. She asked how a rape victim could feel comfortable about reporting a case under such circumstances.
“Those dirty police officers must be named and shamed so people know who they are. What is the point of being assisted by such police officers?”
Prof Witness Maluleke, a senior criminologist at the University of Limpopo, said it was shocking to learn that those who entrusted with policing and protecting the public were agents of criminality.
“As a result, women are seen as soft targets of lust and uncontrollable sexual urges.
Women seen as soft targets
“The reported cases are just a tip of the iceberg, as rape cases are less reported, since the criminal justice system is currently not winning the war against this scourge.
“Some victims solve the cases within the domestic domain and such cases do not reach the law enforcement agencies.
“Overall, this is not a true reflection of rape cases by the police across SA communities.”
Maluleke said the public should be vigilant as they were not protected against this crime.
“The public remains vulnerable, without effective policing strategies tailored towards bringing the police who victimise rape victims to [justice].
“We should protect ourselves, self-policing is needed, and we should be vigilant at all times, while we do not trust anyone, including the police, as the majority cannot be trusted and they are criminals who do not deserve to be part of the service.
Finding should not be taken lightly
“Police management should clean their house, we cannot have a country with police who are not following the code of conduct, rules and regulations that govern them.”
Maluleke said the findings of the 2024-25 Ipid report should not be taken lightly and should be used to reform current strategies employed to effectively respond to police criminality, misconduct and irregularities.
He said the shared revelations call for further investigations by other oversight bodies, while ensuring proper implementations of the findings.
Maluleke called for the dismissal and suspension of police reportedly on the wrong side of the law, as well as instituting civil and criminal cases against them.
Michael Sun, a DA member of the Gauteng legislature, said: “The party calls for urgent accountability to address this crisis in the police service, restore trust in the badge and protect all Gauteng residents.
“This figure alone raises serious concerns about accountability, oversight and the safety of residents, particularly women, who are supposed to be protected by those in uniform.”
Urgent accountability
Sun has called for urgent accountability to address this crisis in the police , restore trust in the badge, and protect the public.
“These rape incidents are not only criminal, but they also represent a gross betrayal of public trust. Police officers take an oath to serve and protect.”
