Following his appearance before the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Police this week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) accused Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia of having no plan to restore discipline and public trust in the police.

The DA said: “Although he has already spent several months in office, Minister Cachalia was unable to outline a concrete plan or timeline to restore accountability, discipline, or public trust in the South African Police Service.”

According to the DA, despite being pressed, Cachalia: “[had] no ready plan” to restore accountability, discipline or trust in the police. The party added that the minister: “leaned heavily on talk of ‘consultation’ and ‘future collaboration,’ leaving pressing questions unresolved.”

The DA said the minister also hesitated to back a probe of past SAPS promotions and appointments. The party called such an audit: “a crucial step toward tackling political interference and corruption that have weakened the organisation,” adding that Cachalia suggested it might be preferable to focus on the future instead of reviewing past failures.

“South Africans cannot afford further delays,” the party said. “They deserve immediate and measurable steps from a minister who is ready to act decisively to restore integrity and competence in policing.”

According to the Human Sciences Research Council, levels of confidence in the South African Police Service have fallen from just under 50% in the 1990s to just above 20% in the present.