Giving provinces greater control over police resources: Here’s why it should be considered
Safety and security insiders argued that police decisions would be better made by those closest to the affected community.
Vukani Memela, CEO of the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (Sasseta), emphasizes the importance of granting provinces greater control over police resources. Memela argues that more responsibility must be matched with more skills, stronger collaboration, and a workforce ready for the future. The CEO points out that effective public safety depends on a trained, equipped, and prepared security workforce.
Recent incidents, such as the deaths of two South African Police Service (Saps) members in Reiger Park and the high number of gang-related murders in the Western Cape, have raised questions about the effectiveness of national policing strategies. The police ministry has reiterated Operation Shanela, a strategy focused on high-density operations in hotspots and targeted at contact crimes and gender-based violence in the Top 30 plus five national and top 10 provincial police stations.
Private security firms and SANDF personnel play a significant role in augmenting policing resources. Sasseta's data shows that 17,100 private security firms employ 637,000 security officers, with 2,200 private operators assisting in Operation Prosper. Memela highlights the potential for greater cooperation between the state and private sector, stressing the need for structured channels for information sharing between Saps and the private sector.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police, Ian Cameron, has long advocated for devolving policing powers to provinces. Cameron believes that decision-making should be closer to the communities experiencing crime, particularly when provincial or municipal institutions can professionally exercise those powers. However, he notes that key decisions on budgets, personnel, procurement, promotions, specialized units, and national operational priorities are still centrally controlled.
This limits a province's ability to adapt its policing model to local crime patterns or move resources according to local needs.
Cameron acknowledges that decentralised bodies may face political interference or corruption but argues that any devolution model must include strong safeguards, such as independent appointments, lifestyle audits, transparent procurement, national minimum standards, interoperable information systems, independent inspection, and strong oversight by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), legislatures, and parliament.
He emphasizes that authority should be devolved together with accountability, not merely transferred from one political office to another.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
