Construction site extortion and business protection rackets have become a major barrier to infrastructure delivery, with the construction mafia disrupting projects worth billions of rands. The committee heard that over 80% of major construction sites in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng face extortion demands. Dedicated anti-extortion units, established in some provinces, have had mixed results due to the intersection of organised crime with local political structures. The committee has called for inter-departmental coordination between SAPS, NPA, and DTIC to protect infrastructure investment.
South Africa recorded over 27,000 murders in 2023/24, a rate of approximately 45 per 100,000 — among the highest globally. SAPS detective-to-case ratios in some provinces exceed 1:100, far above the recommended 1:25. The committee has documented critical shortages in forensic capacity, with DNA backlogs and ballistic analysis delays undermining prosecution success rates. The 2025/26 BRRR recommended ring-fenced funding for detective recruitment and forensic services modernisation as a prerequisite for improving the 20% serious crime conviction rate.
The Cybercrimes Act (2020) established a framework for criminalising cyber offences, preserving electronic evidence, and enabling international cooperation. Implementation has been slow — designated cybercrime courts are not yet operational, and SAPS digital forensic capacity remains limited. South Africa loses an estimated R2.2bn annually to cybercrime. The committee has examined readiness for Act enforcement, including capacity within the SAPS Hawks and coordination with the Information Regulator under POPIA.
Court case backlogs exceed 200,000 matters in the lower courts, with some criminal cases taking 3-5 years to reach trial. The committee has examined the causes: insufficient judicial officers, courtroom infrastructure in disrepair, and the impact of the COVID backlog that was never fully cleared. The Chief Justice has proposed case flow management reforms and expanded small claims jurisdiction. The November 2025 annual report review documented the gap between the Office of the Chief Justice modernisation plans and the Department of Justice budget allocation.
Illegal mining (zama-zama operations) in abandoned mines poses severe safety, environmental, and security risks. The Stilfontein tragedy in late 2024, where hundreds of illegal miners were trapped underground, brought national attention to the issue. The committee received an illegal mining petition in September 2025 and has examined inter-departmental coordination failures between SAPS, DMRE, and the Department of Home Affairs. Combatting illegal mining requires addressing both the criminal syndicates that control operations and the desperate economic conditions that drive participation.
South Africa has over 2.7 million registered private security officers — significantly more than the 180,000 SAPS members. PSIRA, the regulatory authority, oversees an industry worth ~R70bn annually. The committee has examined PSIRA regulatory effectiveness, including foreign ownership rules, training standards, and incidents involving security companies in community conflicts. Reform proposals include better coordination between private security and public policing, minimum qualification standards, and addressing the growing use of private security for essential public safety functions.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence globally, with femicide rates five times the global average. The National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2020-2030) established targets including expanded Thuthuzela Care Centres, dedicated FCS units, and the National Register for Sex Offenders. The committee has examined implementation progress, noting police station-level compliance gaps with the Domestic Violence Act. The June 2025 hearings focused on systemic failures in victim support and the low conviction rates for sexual offences.
Legal Aid South Africa provides legal representation to approximately 400,000 indigent clients annually but faces persistent funding constraints that limit coverage, particularly in rural areas and civil matters. The committee has examined the tension between Legal Aid mandate expansion and budget adequacy. Access to justice in family law, eviction, and administrative matters remains severely limited for poor South Africans, with implications for property rights, social grant access, and protection order enforcement.
The SANDF has been deployed in support of SAPS for internal security operations and border protection under successive Presidential authorisations. The March 2026 committee session examined the deployment alongside the Mkhwanazi Committee report on police-military coordination. Cost-effectiveness concerns persist — military deployments are expensive relative to equivalent police capacity. The committee has questioned whether permanent SANDF border deployment should be replaced with a dedicated border policing unit within SAPS.
Community Policing Forums (CPFs), mandated by the South African Police Service Act, are intended to enable civilian oversight and community safety partnerships at station level. In practice, most CPFs are underfunded and dysfunctional. The committee workshop in September 2025 examined revitalisation strategies, including sustainable funding models, integration with municipal Integrated Development Plans, and formal accountability mechanisms. The Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) oversees CPF coordination but lacks enforcement capacity.
IPID, the police oversight body, has faced institutional instability including leadership disputes documented in the February 2025 committee session. The directorate investigates deaths in custody, discharge of firearms, and corruption but has fewer than 500 investigators for 180,000+ SAPS members. Strengthening IPID operational independence is essential for police accountability, particularly given ongoing concerns about police brutality and extra-judicial killings. The committee has examined IPID caseloads relative to resources in quarterly performance reviews.