Trust in the police at an all-time low, report shows

Public trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is at an all-time low, with just over a fifth of citizens having faith in the police since 2022, according to a new survey.

- Stella Mapenzauswa

The study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) was released a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he had placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence in the wake of allegations that a criminal syndicate has infiltrated the police service and intelligence agencies, including top police and prosecutorial structures.

Ramaphosa said he was setting up a judicial commission of inquiry to be chaired by the acting deputy chief justice, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, to investigate what he called “the infiltration of law enforcement, intelligence and associated institutions within the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates”.

According to the HSRC survey, trust levels in the police have remained relatively low over the 1998 to 2024-25 period, during which a majority of the adult public never expressed any faith in the service.