SASOLBURG – A chilling statistic has rocked the Free State province after it was revealed that 29 police officers have committed suicide between 2021 and 2025.
The DA has since blamed the tragedy on the crumbling state of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
A shocking figure was confirmed in the Free State Legislature by MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, which has raised alarm bells over the welfare of the very men and women tasked with keeping residents safe.
According to DA Community Safety spokesperson Roy Jankielsohn, police officers are working under extreme pressure in “depressing and dangerous” conditions that are literally pushing them to breaking point.
“Officers are expected to deliver results while working with severely inadequate resources such as vehicles, computers, printers, and basic equipment. They operate in dilapidated buildings that undermine professionalism and are often subjected to bullying, victimisation and a complete lack of empathy from senior management,” he said.
Jankielsohn said other stressful conditions officers face include:
• A lack of trauma management and early retirement packages for those working in the most stressful environments.
• Lack of promotions and a poor outlook for career improvements, while nepotism and underqualified seniors remain a problem.
• Stressful work environments, long hours and forced transfers place pressure on families of SAPS members.
• High case-loads with unreasonable pressure to perform detections and arrests. SAPS detectives, including specialised units, have average caseloads of 395 dockets per person, while the ideal number is 100 dockets per person.
• A violent and negative work environment, facing crime scenes, victims, and criminals on a daily basis.
“The lack of ongoing training and support has limited the effectiveness of the SAPS to the extent that many law-abiding residents are losing trust in the SAPS to win the battle against crime. It is clear that urgent intervention is needed to restore dignity, support and professionalism to the SAPS, and to ensure that those tasked with protecting residents are not themselves left abandoned and broken by the system,” he said.
