Ipid 14 000 case backlog sparks concern for police committee

The Citizen

6 hours ago

Parliament's police committee urges Ipid to fix its massive backlog and staff shortages, warning that victims of police misconduct are left without justice.
A backlog of more than 14 000 Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) cases was carried over to this financial year, raising concerns for the portfolio committee on police.
The committee said the backlog of 14 469 cases hampers Ipid's ability to fulfil its mandate effectively. It called for urgent strategies to remedy the concern.
'Ipid plays a critical role in ensuring accountability from the South African Police Service (Saps), and the backlog directly undermines this drive,' said Ian Cameron, the chairperson of the committee.
Ipid struggles with 14 000-case backlog
'While the committee has noted various interventions to clear the backlog, the reality is that victims of police abuse of authority remain without recourse.'
This comes after the committee met with both Ipid and the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) on Thursday to discuss the revised annual performance plan and strategic plan.
The committee welcomed the R126.3 million additional funding over the medium term and hopes it will significantly contribute to reducing the case backlog.
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It is, however, worried that the additional funding, without clear plans to address some of the internal systematic challenges, will not solve the issue.
A significant obstacle to the Ipid is the disproportionately high case-per-investigator ratio, the committee said. It noted that a nominal staff increase—from 387 in the 2025-26 fiscal year to 421 in 2027-28 — will not sufficiently address the issue.
'In the context of the increasing cases reported to Ipid, it is necessary to ensure that the directorate is adequately capacitated to increasing demand,' the committee said.
Plans to introduce digital case management system
The portfolio committee on police acknowledged that the directorate plans to introduce a new digital case management system to help the organisation monitor cases more effectively and improve victim tracking and communication.
It has, however, urged Ipid to effectively implement the plans, as a functional system may positively impact the backlog.
The committee added that it was also concerned about the implementation of recommendations made by Ipid to the Saps. It stated that Thursday's meeting highlighted a trend of Saps seemingly ignoring strong recommendations made by the directorate.
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'This phenomenon erodes the effectiveness of Ipid and its mandate, and the committee resolved that there is a need for a laser focus on the rate of implementation of the recommendations,' Cameron said.
The committee also expressed agreement with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu that Saps members must improve their conduct.
'The bottom line is that there is no place in the Saps for rogue police officers who engage in criminal activity. While the Ipid provides the necessary checks and balances, the Saps members must always be fit and proper for the service they must render to the people,' Cameron said.
PSiRA's plans to implement digital strategy
In terms of PSiRA, the committee acknowledged the plan to implement a digital strategy that will ensure a smooth user interaction process.
The committee also welcomed the intention to increase PSiRA's footprint to make sure that private security companies in Limpopo, Northern Cape, and North West are able to access its services more easily.
'The committee has always emphasised the importance of the private security industry in efforts to combat crime in the country,' it said.
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