SAPS Under Scrutiny: Two Incidents Show the Cost of Limited Patrol Cars

Key points in this article:

• Victim as Volunteer Driver: In a shocking display of resource scarcity, a burglary victim in Newcastle was forced to drive a SAPS forensic officer to her home due to the absence of available police vehicles, highlighting the urgent need for better logistical support within SAPS.
• Delayed Response to Violence: A separate incident saw a violent domestic disturbance go unaddressed for hours due to the same lack of transport, exposing the community to danger and underscoring the inefficiency caused by vehicle shortages in emergency responses.
• Community and Police Interaction: Despite the dedication of individual officers, the systemic lack of resources led to operational breakdowns, prompting community involvement in basic police functions and raising questions about the effectiveness of policing in crisis situations.
• Calls for Reform and Accountability: Both incidents have sparked discussions on the necessity for SAPS to reform its resource allocation, with local community policing forums and officers acknowledging the problem and advocating for systemic changes to better serve and protect the public.

The dire lack of resources within South Africa’s law enforcement has cast a harsh light on the South African Police Service (SAPS), highlighted by two recent incidents.

In one case, a burglary victim in Newcastle had to personally drive a police officer to and from her home to facilitate critical forensic work. This incident occurred on Wednesday, 4 February 2025, in the Sunnyridge neighbourhood of Newcastle.

A resident on Chromite Avenue, who preferred anonymity, recounted the break-in at her home during the pre-dawn hours. “My home was broken into at about 5:30 am and I contacted the police, and they only arrived at 8:45am. After taking my statement, I was told the officer who would be taking fingerprints would only be coming at 3 pm,” she began.

However, as the afternoon wore on without any sign of the forensic expert, the situation reached an absurd peak. “I then called the officer who was supposed to take the fingerprints, and he explained to me that there were no vehicles for him to use, and was therefore unable to come out until a vehicle was available. I then offered to come fetch him, which I did, driving to his home and back so he could do the necessary work,” noted the resident.

Despite lauding the officer’s professionalism and dedication, the resident was quick to critique the operational shortcomings due to resource constraints, particularly the absence of transport, which is fundamental for effective policing.

The second incident took place on Friday, 7 February 2024, along Gerrit Martiz Avenue, where a man allegedly on drugs attempted to assault young family members in his household, going as far as to break windows in their home, and going outside onto the street naked and fighting with community members who were trying to help the young children.

Despite the Newcastle SAPS being contacted at 4:39 pm for assistance, police could only come just after 7pm, due to an unavailability of vehicles.

Constable Nonjabulo Langa, the Spokesperson for Amajuba District SAPS, clarified that the officer was not from the local Newcastle station but from the forensics division. She confirmed the acute shortage of police vehicles, stating, “Most of our vehicles are in the SAPS garage undergoing repairs. However, we do have plans in times of emergency, which includes contacting neighbouring stations to assist with the use of their vehicles. Also, we are hopefully getting more vehicles during the course of this year,” she noted, adding that a lack of resources was an issue that was not isolated to the local station, but to several stations across the country.

Furthermore, she underscored the police’s commitment, “The community must understand that we as the police are truly there for them and despite the lack of resources, we still have their best interests at heart, and we will carry out our duties to the best of our ability.”

Sandile Mdluli, the Public Relations Officer for the Newcastle Community Policing Forum (CPF), reflected on the incident, highlighting the vast area covered by the local police, which is inadequately served by the current number of officers. “The area it covers is massive and the reality of how many officers are available to police it isn’t proportionate to the ratio of the citizens. We have to understand this. However, Brigadier Naidoo (Newcastle SAPS Station Commander) in our most recent meeting said, to take photos of police officers doing wrong things and report it so that the bad apples can be held accountable for corruption or wasting of state resources.”

Recognising the critical role of vehicles in law enforcement, particularly when many are sidelined for repairs, Mdluli noted, “The CPF has assisted Newcastle SAPS with helping to get vehicles back on the road, through channels such as management being made aware of the situation on the ground, and community complaints regarding response times.”

He further committed to formalising community grievances, “The Newcastle CPF would be putting the community concerns down in writing and submit it to the station commander. We will be working with SAPS to be able to identify where the problem areas are and writing to the district and provincial commissioners to request additional resources to assist the Newcastle Station SAPS. ⁠We also encourage the community to report and log all incidents in their respective areas so as to keep record and motivate for more resources in the respective sectors,” concluded Mdluli.

Given this scenario, what are your thoughts? Please share your insights in the comments below.