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Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia has called for broader reforms within the SAPS, saying the Madlanga commission has sparked a national conversation about the kind of police service South Africa needs over the next 30 years.The commission, headed by retired justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is investigating allegations of corruption and the infiltration of South Africa’s criminal justice system by criminal syndicates. Its hearings have implicated several senior police officials and heads of law enforcement agencies in alleged wrongdoing. Delivering the keynote address at a dialogue on the state and transformation of the security industry in South Africa, in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Cachalia said the commission was “shining light in dark places”. “The police are increasingly under scrutiny. We are challenged to redefine law enforcement ... We are building a partnership with the private sector to address safety and security,” Cachalia said. The issue of crime in South Africa has become a political hot potato, with opposition parties criticising the government for not doing much to address the scourge. South Africa’s private security industry employs more than 580,000 personnel — far more than the 180,000 employed by the police. And it played a crucial role in containing the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021. The government was criticised for setting aside R600m to secure national infrastructure and prevent widespread destruction and violence during the June 30 anti-illegal migration protests across the country. Cachalia said the Madlanga commission was significant. “Every week we see significant arrests. What the commission has done ... [is to] raise questions about the structure and functioning of the police service. We need to have a conversation about what kind of police we need to build in the next 30 years. We must reposition community policing [and that] will require a structural change,” he said. “In the next few weeks, we will share with the public areas in policing that need structural reform. Procurement reform is one example.” The police minister said the police department was already working with the Government Technical Advisory Centre, an agency of National Treasury, to look at how the police should deal with procurement. The centre helps organs of state strengthen public finance management and deliver high-impact government initiatives efficiently, effectively and transparently. Cachalia said safety and security must be a core priority for the country and be at the centre of the national agenda going forward. “Crime has evolved. The issue of crime needs to be part of the national conversation. We have had high levels of crime for decades. We live in a violent society. Organised crime — such as construction mafias, kidnappings and extortions — has an impact on the agenda for inclusive economic growth and transformation. Read: Cachalia warns extortion on the rise as crime syndicates evolveIn May, President Cyril Ramaphosa moved to assure investors their investments were safe, as South Africa’s business operating environment was underpinned by the rule of law. Cachalia said cartels were infiltrating law enforcement. “Fighting organised crime needs police to develop new capabilities. Crime undermines the economy, public institutions and the democratic project.” Black Business Council vice-president Gregory Mofokeng said there were 35,374 commercial crimes reported during January to March in 2025. The number surged to 36,797 during the corresponding period in 2026. Truck hijackings fell slightly from 359 to 357, and kidnappings eased from 4,571 to 4,478. Mofokeng criticised the police for not doing much in addressing organised crime, saying: “We are already pricing in the construction mafia premium because the police are not doing their jobs. This premium takes away resources from infrastructure projects.” Security Personnel Party of South Africa president Sello Mashula said businesses didn’t want to invest in a country where safety and security “seem to be absent”, while anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee called on Ramaphosa to fire police minister Senzo Mchunu. “I’m sorry to use this language, but what the hell is he waiting for? He needs to fire Mchunu and appoint a permanent minister,” Abramjee said. Mchunu has spent the past year on special leave following damning allegations that he protected criminal syndicates and meddled in police investigations.
