Action Society welcomes several positive aspects contained in the newly tabled South African Police Service Amendment Bill (B18-2026), particularly measures aimed at improving professionalism, accountability, integrity and discipline within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The organisation says reforms such as lifestyle audits, integrity testing for recruits, stronger disciplinary systems and improved forensic governance are long overdue. However, the true measure of the Bill’s success will not be the number of committees, structures or reporting mechanisms it creates, but whether it helps police solve more cases, secure more convictions and protect more victims.
South Africans are facing a relentless crime crisis. Every day families are affected by murder, rape, assault, robbery and violent crime. Against this backdrop, any reform of SAPS must ultimately be judged by outcomes rather than administrative changes.
“The public is not asking for more reports or more structures. They are asking for safer communities, competent investigations and justice for victims,” says Juanita du Preez, National Spokesperson for Action Society.
“We welcome efforts to professionalise SAPS and strengthen accountability, but South Africans are not suffering from a shortage of policies. They are suffering from a shortage of convictions. Any policing reform must ultimately be measured by whether more criminals are caught, prosecuted and convicted.”
Action Society believes the provisions relating to integrity testing, lifestyle audits and dedicated disciplinary structures have the potential to strengthen public confidence in policing if implemented effectively. Corruption, misconduct and weak accountability continue to undermine trust in law enforcement and must be addressed decisively.
The organisation also welcomes provisions relating to forensic governance and DNA management. However, Action Society cautions that improved governance alone will not solve South Africa’s ongoing forensic crisis.
Parliament, oversight bodies and the National Forensic Oversight and Ethics Board have repeatedly raised concerns regarding DNA backlogs, lengthy turnaround times, analyst vacancies and the impact these failures have on investigations into rape, gender-based violence, murder and other serious crimes.
“The challenge facing South Africa is not a lack of legislation. The challenge is implementation,” says du Preez.
“Victims do not experience a forensic system through policies and regulations. They experience it through whether evidence is processed on time, whether investigations move forward and whether perpetrators are held accountable.”
Action Society has also noted provisions that increase centralised authority within SAPS and strengthen national oversight of municipal police services.
While effective coordination between law enforcement agencies is important, the organisation believes careful scrutiny is required to ensure that reforms do not unintentionally weaken local accountability or reduce the influence of communities in shaping policing priorities.
Particular attention should be given to the proposed restructuring of Community Policing Forums and community oversight mechanisms.
“Communities must remain active partners in the fight against crime,” says du Preez.
“South Africans are increasingly stepping forward to support safer neighbourhoods, stronger oversight and better policing outcomes. Any reform process should strengthen the voice of communities rather than distance decision-making from the people most affected by crime.”
Action Society further believes that the Bill misses an important opportunity to place greater emphasis on investigative capacity. Poor investigations, excessive detective caseloads, lost evidence, delayed forensic results and weak case preparation continue to undermine the criminal justice system and contribute to low conviction rates.
As Parliament begins considering the Bill, Action Society will continue to monitor the proposed reforms and advocate for a policing system that prioritises victims, accountability and measurable results.
“Professionalisation is welcome. Accountability is welcome. Better governance is welcome,” concludes du Preez.
“But South Africans will judge this Bill by a far simpler standard: whether criminals are caught, whether victims receive justice and whether communities become safer.”
Soundbite:
