Niven Naidoo
Image: Supplied
CRIMINOLOGIST Niven Naidoo warns that without urgent police reform and protection for honest officers, South Africa risks descending into lawlessness, as corruption and misconduct undermine public trust.
“Our country still has many committed police officers, public servants, community workers and leaders who want to restore trust. The priority must be to protect the honest officials, remove corrupt elements, and rebuild policing around service, accountability and community partnership to minimise the risk of us becoming a lawless country.
“The conduct of officials exposed in the Madlanga Commission stems from weak accountability, poor leadership, political interference, corruption, and a lack of trust between police and communities.
“While many officers are honest, they operate in a system that often fails to address misconduct or provide resources. The dismantling of independent oversight bodies, like the Scorpions, further weakened accountability,” Naidoo added.
He said the commission, initiated by the recommendation of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, shows internal efforts toward reform.
“The challenges are widespread. Political appointments that prioritised personal or political interests over public service and weak accountability, allow misconduct to continue.
“Under-resourcing leaves stations without enough staff or equipment. Leadership issues like weak supervision and meritless promotions foster corruption. All this undermines public trust and makes reform slow.
“When trust in law enforcement and government is undermined, communities often feel neglected and under-resourced. This can lead to self-policing or vigilante actions, as people feel they must take matters into their own hands. It also opens the door for extreme groups to offer false narratives about crime. In the end, these dynamics increase division, and reduce the focus on solving real causes of crime.”
To turn things around, Naidoo said the SAPS needed urgent reform focused on accountability, ethical leadership, and restoring public trust.
“This must include stronger internal discipline, better protection for whistle-blowers, proper vetting of officers, improved training, and meaningful community oversight. Misconduct must be dealt with quickly and transparently. Corrupt officers should not be allowed to remain in the system, and promotions must be based on merit, integrity and competence, rather than politics or personal connections.
“When bad behaviour is ignored, it becomes normalised, and damages both public confidence and the morale of honest officers. At the same time, we must not paint every police officer with the same brush. Many SAPS members enter the service with good intentions and continue to serve communities with dedication. The problem is that they are often working in a system that does not properly support ethical policing. Reform must therefore protect and empower good officers while removing those who abuse the uniform.”
He said if nothing was done to address the situation within the next 10 years, communities might increasingly lose faith in the police, courts, crime-fighting bodies, political leaders, and government institutions.
“When people believe the system cannot protect them, they may stop reporting crimes, stop co-operating with investigations, or begin taking justice into their own hands. This can lead to more vigilantism, self-policing, and community violence.
“We may also see criminal networks becoming more confident and more embedded in legitimate government structures. When corruption is not dealt with, resources meant for communities can be diverted, investigations can be weakened, and honest officers can become demoralised or pushed out of the system.
“Another danger is that fear and frustration can create space for extremist or fringe groups to spread false explanations for crime by blaming certain communities or groups without evidence. This divides society and distracts from the real causes of crime, corruption, poor leadership, inequality, and weak accountability,” Naidoo added.