SAPS IN CRISIS: 800 dockets for one detective, undermined forensic services — Auditor-General’s critical SAPS findings

Work allocation between South Africa’s police detectives is uneven, with some managing 600 to 800 dockets each, according to the Auditor-General of South Africa.

“Reliance on highly experienced detectives creates the risk of losing institutional knowledge, specialised skills and investigative expertise through retirement, as 1,227 of 3,294 detectives are five years or less in service,” the Auditor-General said in a presentation to Parliament on Friday, 2 October 2026.

Cops, court cases and crime

The presentation, on the South African Police Service (SAPS), was screened during a police committee meeting. It comes amid unprecedented turbulence among law enforcers, especially in the SAPS, which has involved various officers being criminally charged.

This week, suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has been appearing in a Gauteng court. He is trying to be released from custody on bail following his recent arrest on rape, sexual exploitation and trafficking charges.

At the same time, the police service is trying to get a grip on gender-based violence and femicide in the country.

‘Underachievement’

The Auditor-General’s presentation showed that in terms of detective services, although the SAPS spent its full 2025 to 2026 budget of R15.5-billion, it achieved only 63% of its performance targets.

“Underachievement, despite full budget spending, suggests resources are not translating into intended operational results,” it said.

Eight audited policing districts showed “a significant unresolved contact-crime caseload of 114,378 at the beginning of the year, with 43% carried forward from the prior year”.

Only 37% of the cases led to arrests and court proceedings, 21% were withdrawn, and 10% were closed as undetected.

“A further 32% was carried forward to 2026-27, increasing the backlog and pressure on detective resources,” the Auditor-General said.

‘Unresolved cases, limited experience’

The detective services also showed “succession-planning risks”.

The average detective age was about 43 years old, according to the presentation; 379 of the country’s 3,294 detectives were older than 55, and 1,227 had five years or less in the service.

“Newly appointed detectives with limited experience are managing substantial caseloads with limited mentorship and support,” the presentation said.

It added that high caseloads could compromise the quality of investigations and dockets.

The presentation recommended rebalancing workloads and implementing proper succession planning.

‘Undermined’ forensic science services

Police Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL) were also a focus of the presentation – and again a worrying picture emerged.

The full FSL budget of R1.7-billion was spent, yet it achieved only a third of its performance targets.

The Auditor-General’s presentation explained that the police’s forensic science division played “a critical role in supporting criminal investigations” through forensic evidence analysis.

“However, the effectiveness and service delivery are being undermined by several operational and infrastructure challenges,” the Auditor-General said.

Contracts for archiving forensic case files and for “supplying biology consumables” had either expired or not been renewed.

Cluttered offices and outdated computers

“This has resulted in cluttered office space, reliance on quotation-based procurement, administrative inefficiencies, and potential delays in service delivery,” the Auditor-General said in the presentation.

A “significant number of PCs” – presumably computers – were outdated or not functioning in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

“This affects productivity, data capturing, and compatibility with current technology requirements such as Windows 11.

“The issue points to inadequate lifecycle management.”

DNA extraction instruments, referred to in the presentation as “StarPlus DNA isolation robots”, were not being used because the necessary tubes were unavailable.

“This limits DNA extraction capacity and may contribute to sample-processing delays and investigation backlogs,” it said.

Procurement weaknesses and potential delays

Three years ago, the SAPS awarded a five-year contract “for semi-automated DNA processing consumables”, but it had never been used, it was reported.

This could expose police to “possible breach-of-contract claims and financial loss”, the Auditor-General warned, adding that it also “suggests weaknesses in procurement planning and needs assessment”.

It found that these collective problems could delay forensic evidence processing, add to case backlogs and result in case withdrawals because of unavailable evidence.

“Ultimately, this delays justice for both victims and accused persons,” the presentation said.

Expanding scandal vs ‘reset agenda’

The Auditor-General’s presentation adds to the unprecedented scandal in which South Africa’s law enforcers are embroiled.

It erupted last year when KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that a cartel had infiltrated the criminal justice sector, politics and private sector.

Since then, several law enforcers have been suspended, arrested and criminally charged.

Others, like sidelined National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, have been criminally charged and subsequently cleared.

The fallout prompted what police leaders are now calling a “reset agenda”.

A few months ago, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia explained that this “requires a multi-year turnaround strategy that is consistently implemented”.

“The actions we take in this financial year should contribute to the foundations upon which a strengthened SAPS can be built,” Cachalia added.

“We won’t promise miracles or short-term fixes. What matters is that the direction we are taking is clear and the goals are firm.”

The state of the police’s detective service and forensic science divisions, as outlined in the Auditor-General’s presentation on Friday, reiterates that the reset agenda requires intense work. DM