South Africa has recently lost 21 police officers between October 2024 and December 2024, according to National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola. This announcement came as part of an update on police operations during the festive season.
One of the major concerns highlighted by police management is the loss of skilled officers to other job opportunities, with approximately 5,300 officers leaving the South African Police Service (Saps) annually.
Major-General Leon Rabie provided an update to the Portfolio Committee on Police regarding the Intervention Plan to strengthen the Detective Services Division in November of last year. As of the end of September, the country had a total of 185,196 police officers, falling short of the required 310,132 officers needed to meet operational demands.
Police officers killed
While some officers leave the force for other opportunities, others are tragically lost to violence. In the 2023/24 financial year, a total of 111 police officers were killed, with 39 killed while on duty and 72 off duty.
Between October and December 2024, 21 police officers were murdered, nine of whom were on duty and 12 off duty. General Masemola emphasized the need to address the ongoing attacks on police officers, categorizing the issue as a national priority offense. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has been tasked with investigating these crimes.
During the same period, 30 individuals responsible for killing police officers were arrested. Seven of them have already been convicted, receiving sentences totaling 22 life imprisonments and an additional 725 years.
Police operations for the safer festive season commenced on October 11, 2024, and concluded on January 31, 2025, resulting in 244,951 arrests across the country.
Arrests across SA
General Masemola also highlighted a number of arrests made by the police nationwide, including:
- 4,501 murder and attempted murder suspects
- 3,983 rape and attempted rape suspects
- 27,640 suspects for Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
- 17,311 suspects for common assault
- 4,675 suspects for dealing in drugs
- 27,376 suspects for possession of drugs
- 10,042 suspects for illegal liquor dealing
- 1,952 suspects for illegal possession of firearms
- 1,380 suspects for illegal possession of ammunition
- 9,540 suspects for driving under the influence
- 25,950 illegal immigrants
General Masemola stressed the importance of providing police officers with the necessary training, resources, and protective gear to combat crime effectively. He called on South Africans to collaborate with law enforcement in the fight against criminals to create a safer country for all.
