‘It’s not comforting’: Madlanga commission concerned serious JMPD cases ‘die’ internally
JMPD's internal affairs unit is responsible for dealing with misconduct involving its members.
The Madlanga commission has expressed concern over serious allegations of misconduct involving Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers that are failing to be properly investigated, according to testimony at the commission's hearing on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. Superintendent Elmarie de Beer, head of the JMPD's internal affairs unit, testified about the challenges her unit faces in handling misconduct cases, particularly those involving criminal activities such as corruption, human trafficking and drug dealing.
De Beer revealed that the internal affairs unit, responsible for addressing misconduct related to JMPD members, consists of only 38 employees while the department employs between 3 000 and 4 000 people. She explained that the unit often struggles to obtain crucial information about allegations, as formal reports are not frequently made.
De Beer also testified that JMPD officers investigating cases can be ordered to stop their investigations by senior officials, with one instance involving three Tactical Response Unit (TRU) officers accused of stealing R85 000 from a Zimbabwean woman. After initial resistance from the South African Police Service (Saps), the officers were released on bail and the complainant allegedly withdrew the charges, with investigators suspecting that the officers may have paid the complainant to do so.
The disciplinary case against the officers could not proceed due to insufficient evidence. Commission Chair Sesi Baloyi expressed concern over the lack of an automatic referral mechanism for criminal allegations, suggesting that cases should be automatically referred to the Saps or the Hawks, who have the necessary investigative powers.
Baloyi emphasized that the failure to properly address these serious allegations is not only frustrating for investigators but also unsettling, as the cases seem to disappear within the JMPD's internal affairs structures, leaving no records for the Saps or Hawks to investigate.
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