Action Society calls on the Minister of Police to urgently assign full policing powers to municipalities that demonstrate the capacity, leadership, and operational readiness to address crime effectively within their jurisdictions.
Action Society has been advocating for years for the decentralisation of policing in South Africa and therefore welcomes the Minister’s recent publication of draft regulations under Section 64F(2) of the SAPS Act. However, the current proposals are too limited in scope and fail to deliver the substantive change necessary to make South African communities safer. The civil rights watchdog insists that a bolder, more decisive approach is now necessary to confront the escalating crime crisis in South African communities.
While Action Society supports efforts to give municipal police more policing powers, these limited powers will do nothing in the fight against crime. The civil rights watchdog insists that a bolder, more decisive approach is now necessary to confront the escalating crime crisis in South African communities.
“Capable cities like Cape Town have proven that they can deliver when empowered,” said Juanita du Preez of Action Society. “We cannot allow bureaucratic inertia and political turf wars to delay practical solutions to crime. The people of South Africa deserve safety and justice, now.”
Municipalities such as the City of Cape Town have developed robust safety strategies, trained municipal police personnel, and established oversight mechanisms that meet national standards. Yet, they remain hamstrung by limited investigative and enforcement authority. The draft regulations, while a step in the right direction, fall short of the systemic reform needed to decentralise policing effectively.
Action Society demands:
- Immediate promulgation of the proposed regulations to empower municipal police under Section 64F(2);
- Full investigative and arrest powers for capable municipal forces, especially for crimes such as assault, drug trafficking, burglary, and gang-related violence;
- Formal recognition of municipal police as equal partners in law enforcement, with the necessary autonomy to protect residents without SAPS micromanagement;
- A national framework for devolution of policing powers, with clear criteria and accountability measures to ensure responsible implementation.
“South Africans are being brutalised daily while politicians dither,” du Preez added. “Empowering municipalities will not create a constitutional crisis it is a constitutional solution. It’s time for the Minister to act decisively and devolve real power where it’s working.”
Action Society will continue to advocate for practical, community-driven policing reforms, and hold authorities accountable until every South African can feel safe in their home, on their street, and in their city.
