The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province. The nine Provincial Commissioners report directly to the National Commissioner. The head office is in the Wachthuis Building in Pretoria.
Robert McBride is the former chief of the metropolitan police for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. During the apartheid era he was a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress, and was convicted of terrorism after he bombed Magoos Bar, a busy Durban night club, in an attack that killed three people. However, this conviction was "for all purposes...deemed not to have taken place" under the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act.
The Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), commonly known as the Scorpions, was a specialised unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa formed by President Thabo Mbeki, tasked with investigating and prosecuting high-level and priority crimes including organised crime and corruption. An independent and multidisciplinary unit with a unique methodology which combined investigation, forensic intelligence, and prosecution, the Scorpions were known as an elite unit, and were involved in several extremely high-profile investigations, especially into the Arms Deal and into high-ranking African National Congress (ANC) politicians including Jackie Selebi, Jacob Zuma, and Tony Yengeni.
The Department of Police is one of the departments of the South African government. It oversees the South African Police Service and the Independent Complaints Directorate. The current Minister of Police is Bheki Cele who replaced Fikile Mbalula in February 2018.
Andries Tatane was a South African citizen who was shot and killed by police officers during a service delivery protest in Ficksburg. His murder was captured on TV by a media crew that was covering the protest on that day and shocked the whole country. Seven police officers accused of his murder and assault were acquitted in the Ficksburg Regional Court in March 2013.
The Constitution of South Africa protects all basic political freedoms. However, there have been many incidents of political repression, dating back to at least 2002, as well as threats of future repression in violation of this constitution leading some analysts, civil society organisations and popular movements to conclude that there is a new climate of political repression or a decline in political tolerance.
On 26 February 2013, Mido Macia, a 27-year old Mozambican immigrant, was murdered by eight police officers in the custody of the South African Police Service. He was dragged by a police vehicle in the township of Daveyton in Gauteng, South Africa, a few hours earlier. A crowd witnessed the dragging incident, one of whom filmed it. Police said Macia had caused a traffic jam and then resisted arrest. On 25 August 2015, eight former police officers were found guilty of Macia's murder in the North Gauteng High Court.
Nqobile Nzuza was a resident in the Marikana Land Occupation in Cato Crest, which is part of Cato Manor in Durban, South Africa. She was a member of the shackdwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo.
The Minister of Police is a minister in the Government of South Africa with political responsibility for the Department of Police, including the South African Police Service, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, the Private Security industry Regulatory Authority, and the Civilian Secretariat for Police. The current Minister of police is General Bheki Cele.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, is the branch of the South African Police Service which investigates organised crime, economic crime, corruption, and other serious crime referred to it by the President or another division of the police. The unit was established in 2008 by President Jacob Zuma to replace the disbanded Scorpions.
The use of firearms by police forces varies widely across the world, in part due to differences in gun use policy, civilian firearm laws, and recording of police activity. Police forces may require that officers use warning shots before aiming on-target, officers may need to make verbal warnings before using their firearms, and officers may be prohibited from carrying weapons while performing tasks such as highway patrol where gun use is not expected.
Makhotso Magdeline "Maggie" Sotyu is a South African politician who is currently serving as Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries since May 2019. She has been a deputy minister since 2010, formerly as Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture and Deputy Minister of Police, and has represented the African National Congress in the National Assembly since June 1999.
The Portfolio Committee on Police is a portfolio committee of the National Assembly in the Parliament of South Africa.
Patrick Molefe Shai was a South African actor and director. He was best known for the roles in the television series and shows Soul City, Generations, Zone 14,Ashes to Ashes, and Zero Tolerance. He was one of the founding members of Free Film Makers of South Africa.
The murder of Charl Kinnear occurred at around 15:03 SAST on 18 September 2020 as he was leaving his home in Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa. He was shot multiple times in the upper body whilst seated in the driver's seat of his white Toyota Corolla resulting in his death. Kinnear was a lieutenant colonel in the South African Police Service (SAPS) and was the section commander for the Western Cape anti-gang unit. Former pro rugby player Zane Killian was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with Kinnear's murder. Kinnear's mobile phone had been illegally tracked 2,116 times by Killian before his murder using a specialised mobile phone tracking device and software.
The 2020 Phala Phala Robbery or Cyril Ramaphosa Farm Burglary or Farmgate Scandal was a burglary of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s private Phala Phala game farm near Bela-Bela, Limpopo, South Africa. The incident occurred on 9 February 2020 in which an indeterminate amount of cash was stolen. Arthur Fraser, an ally of former President Jacob Zuma alleged that around 4 million US dollars of undeclared foreign currency had been stolen. However, subsequent reports indicated that the amount stolen was $580 000 Ramaphosa denied any wrongdoing, and sought judicial review of a report by a panel appointed by the South African Parliament released in 2022 that accused him of "serious misconduct". Opposition parties and MPs have slammed investigations into the source of the cash, and have accused the South African Reserve Bank of a providing claptrap report and systemic coverup. The Democratic Alliance intends to pursue the courts to further investigate the matter.
Francois Beukman is a South African attorney and former politician who served as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa from 1999 to 2009 and again from 2014 to 2019.
Ian Cameron is a South African civic activist and the Director of Community Safety at Action Society, a non-profit organization focused on assisting victims of violent or hate crimes who cannot afford legal counsel.
McBride v Minister of Police and Another is a 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa which concerns the independence of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). In a unanimous decision written by Ronnie Bosielo, the court confirmed that certain legislative provisions were unconstitutional insofar as they permitted the Minister of Police unilaterally to suspend, discipline, or remove IPID's Executive Director, thereby making the directorate vulnerable to political influence. The court also set aside Police Minister Nathi Nhleko's decision to suspend Robert McBride from his position at the head of IPID.
