NOT IN MY NAME INTERNATIONAL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT STATS SA FINDINGS SHOWING ERODING TRUST IN SAPS

NOT IN MY NAME INTERNATIONAL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT STATS SA FINDINGS SHOWING ERODING TRUST IN SAPS

Not In My Name International notes with grave concern the findings of Stats SA’s Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2024/25, released today, which reveal a deep and troubling lack of public trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS).

According to the survey, a significant number of households that experience crimes such as house break-ins and robberies are choosing not to report these incidents to SAPS. Only 51% of the more than 200 000 households affected by robberies came forward, while over 60% of the 1.3 million individuals affected by theft of personal property did not report to the police.

This is more than a statistical concern, it is a direct reflection of the broken relationship between citizens and law enforcement. When communities stop reporting crime, it is because they no longer believe the police can or will protect them. Such a breakdown in trust undermines both the rule of law and the fight against crime.

The survey further highlights that South Africans, particularly women, feel unsafe walking in their own communities. This represents a tragic surrender of our constitutional right to safety and freedom of movement to crime and criminality. In a democracy built on the promise of dignity and justice, this cannot be acceptable.

Adding to this crisis is the unjustifiable delay in commencing the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption within the SAPS. Every day that passes without the Commission beginning its work only deepens the rot, erodes accountability, and emboldens corrupt networks within the police service. South Africans deserve to know why this process, which was promised as a step towards transparency, remains stalled while public trust continues to collapse.

We call on the Acting Minister of Police, the National Commissioner of SAPS, and all relevant authorities to treat these findings as a national emergency. Restoring public confidence requires visible accountability and leadership that demonstrates responsiveness and transparency; community-centred policing which prioritises grassroots safety concerns, not just top-down directives; and lastly, Gender-sensitive approaches, recognising that women bear the brunt of insecurity and tailoring policing strategies accordingly.

We reiterate that safety is not a privilege; it is a constitutional guarantee. South Africans deserve a police service that they can trust, one that protects rather than alienates, one that restores faith instead of eroding it.