Police identified suspects in 9.5% of 23 000 murders, with the overall suspect detection rate 10% less than Saps' target of 60%.
Police officers at parade at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, on 26 July 2026. Picture: Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo
Four out of every five lifestyle audits done on high-ranking police officials found “anomalies” that required further investigation, parliament has heard.
An annual report presented by the South African Police Service (Saps) on Thursday also showed that hundreds of arrested suspects had escaped police custody and over 400 firearms were lost or stolen.
Saps spent 100% of its R120 billion budget for 2025-26 financial year, but achieved 52% of its predetermined targets and recorded an unqualified audit.
Newly-reinstated national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola was before the Select Committee on security and justice, where he attempted to explain where police were filling the gaps.
Additionally, Saps missed targets on recruitment, crime detection and securing arrests based on DNA and fingerprint evidence.
DNA and fingerprints lead to 5 800 arrests
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his State of the Nation Address in 2025 that senior Saps officials would undergo lifestyle audits.
The process includes background investigations, interviews, a polygraph test, extended fingerprint verification and an assessment of the officer’s financial position.
“1 277 Lieutenant Colonels were subjected to preliminary lifestyle investigations, of whom 1 054 presented anomalies. Investigations remain in progress,” stated Saps’ presentation.
Saps also fell short of its internal investigation target aimed at achieving swift disciplinary resolutions, initiating action in 72% of complaints against a target of 90%.
Saps members reported 402 firearms stolen and 36 lost, but this number was less than the combined 524 from the previous financial year.
Escapes by detainees went up by 8% from the previous year, with 366 escapees recorded in 280 incidents.
While 116 were rearrested within 24 hours and another 132 after that initial window, 127 escaped from holding cells or inside police stations, 24 from loading zones, 19 from hospitals, and 41 were wrongfully released.
Just over 630 000 contact crimes were reported in the 2025-26 financial year, while only 10 909 arrests were made as a result of provisioned intelligence reports.
DNA evidence led to 4 055 arrests, while fingerprint leads led to 1 764 arrests. These numbers were below the targets of 6 020 for DNA, and 2 164 for fingerprint leads.
Stalled recruitment
Saps received one million applications for its recruitment drive in 2025, but no new recruits were enlisted last year, and will be bundled into this year’s recruitment drive.
“The planned February 2026 enlistment could not proceed because the Health Risk Manager’s contract was terminated and the mandatory medical assessments could not be completed.
“Candidates were ready to proceed to medical assessment. The enlistment was deferred to 2026-27, increasing the planned intake to 11 000 trainees,” Saps’ presentation stated.
As a result, the number of police officers decreased by 4 988 members: 49% due to retirement, 23% due to resignation and 20% due to death and ill health.
Additionally, 352 Saps members were dismissed for misconduct in the last financial year.
In terms of vehicles, Saps stated it had a vehicle availability rate of 84% of its 46 017 transport assets, but recorded a net loss of vehicles.
“Disposals exceeded purchases. A total of 4 034 vehicles were disposed of, while 3 133 vehicles were purchased,” the presentation stated.
‘In a better position’ in three years
General Masemola admitted the targets were “a bit low”, but said shortcomings were identified earlier in the year and remedies were already being put in place.
He noted a shortage of detectives, crime intelligence operatives and satellite stations, but said human and infrastructural resources were limited
“The only area we can take extra personnel is from the intake, which is colleges. We are aware that after training they have to do some on-the-job training.
“With the announcement of the minister of finance to support us in terms of the numbers on the detectives, within the coming three years, we will be in a better position where we would want to be,” said Masemola.
His response on fleet management was much the same, saying he would instruct senior and regional officials to assist in addressing the issue.
“If we have a service provider who cannot deliver, we shouldn’t waste time. We are not going to compromise service delivery. We definitely need vehicles to be on the roads,” Masemola said
GBV response
The commissioner said he would address internal controls and consequence management, but stressed that the State Security Agency was dealing with lifestyle audits.
On gender-based violence (GBV), he said the issue cut across multiple aspects of society, explaining that police were “towards the end of the chain” of murders, sexual offences and femicide.
Masemola welcomed the proposed recruitment of 3500 social workers as mentioned by the finance minister, but urged a greater societal response.
The commissioner explained that strong communities and the earlier identification of potentially dangerous relationships would assist crime prevention and eventual investigators.
“It is best to come long before things go wrong. Things don’t go wrong when police intervene. When police intervene, things have already gone wrong,” said Masemola.
