Saps spends more than R100 million on paid sick leave

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has revealed that the South African Police Service (Saps) spent R131.5 million on paid sick leave in the last financial year.

The money was spent on the paid sick leave of more than 600 police officers during the 2023/24 financial year.

According to the Saps, at the beginning of the calendar year, an official is allocated 22 or 30 annual leave days for the entire year, which are prorated on a monthly basis. In cases where officials take leave that exceeds the accumulated leave for a particular period, the leave will result in the pro-rated days of that particular period being exceeded.

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“The total number of Saps employees who were on paid sick leave for a period exceeding six months, during the 2023/24 financial year, is 618,” Mchunu was quoted as saying by Sunday Times.

The Saps sick leave has been a concern as far back as 2012, when parliament’s oversight visits to police stations identified the extensive use of sick leave by Saps members.

Parliament said the sick leave raised questions about the health and welfare of the Saps members and pointed to a need for health and welfare programmes for service members.

The Saps explained that they experience an increase in the amount of sick leave taken at the beginning of the winter season, when the members catch colds and flu.

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The type of duties they perform could also result in Saps officials being hospitalised or suffering mental illness caused by the effects of duty in the field.

Saps and mental health

Addressing the National Policing Summit last month, Mchunu announced that the Saps would establish programmes to support its members.

“Our members are exposed to traumatising situations, and thus require support in respect of mental health. We will be establishing a toll-free number (hotline) for 24/7 access to Employee Health and Wellness services and programs (trauma debriefing and peer support networks). This is a medium-term measure we will be implementing,” said Mchunu.

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The Portfolio Committee on Police has previously heard that the entire Saps structure has only 621 employed health and wellness employees, servicing about 187 278 personnel.

Police management told the committee that 33 suicides occurred within the police force in the 2019/20 financial year, 30 in the 2020/21 financial year and 39 in the 2021/22 financial year. Furthermore, 38 homicide–suicide incidents occurred from 2019 to 2022.

Since April 2025, one Saps member has attempted suicide, while three have died by suicide.

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