ACTING Minister of Police Professor Firoz Cachalia admitted that the SAPS disciplinary system is stukkend and must be reviewed.
This after he was grilled in Parliament this week over Western Cape Provincial Commissioner of Police Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile overturning the punishment meted out to two officers busted with a stolen patrol car filled with drugs and alcohol in Muizenberg in 2021.
He said: “The SAPS should deal with discipline and sanction in a more consistent manner.
“The Minister has therefore identified the need to review the SAPS Disciplinary Regulations of 2016 with a view to addressing loopholes and weaknesses that create a public perception that SAPS is not serious about disciplinary matters, particularly issues of ethics and integrity.”
Nicholas Gotsell MP, DA National Council of Provinces Member on Security and Justice asked whether disciplinary was initiated against the two constables, what the sanctions were and whether the criminal case was completed.
In response Cachalia said the outcome was that the officers were charged with misconduct.
He outlined the disciplinary actions taken: the first constable was dismissed for possession of narcotics, while the second constable was suspended without pay for one month on the same charge.
For the second charge, which involved possession of an employer’s property, both constables received a one-month suspension without pay.
Cachalia further said that the provincial commissioner had varied the sanction regarding the dismissal of one officer, and that the criminal matter had been postponed for trial, with the next court date set for 2 March 2026.
Gotsell added that the DA will now formally write to the Acting Minister to demand a clear timeline for the review of the disciplinary system, full details of who will lead it and to insist that Parliament – and the DA in particular – be formally involved in the process.
The minister’s spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said: “The parliamentary question will be addressed in due course, as the information is with the department.”
In dealing with police members under fire for discipline and criminal behaviour, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Annual Report for 2024/2025 documented 5 497 cases against SAPS and MPS members, resulting in 76 officer convictions and 40 acquittals.