By Simon Nare
Build One South Africa (BOSA) wants the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) hauled over the coals and held account for police misconduct including rapes and murders that have gone unpunished.
The party said it has undertaken to write to the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, to summon the leadership of the directorate to explain itself.
When reached for comment, IPID said it preferred not to respond to the allegations and promised that it would explain itself when it appears before the committee next week.
IPID is an independent body tasked with investigating police misconduct that may result in any death in police custody, deaths as a result of police actions, any complaint relating to the discharge of an official firearm by any police officer as well as rape by a police officer whether the officer in on duty or off duty.
Some of the most common reported cases are physical assault where officers are alleged to have used excessive force when making an arrest or investigating a crime.
Wrongful arrest, unlawful search and seizure, witness tampering and intimidation as well as planted evidence and sexual misconduct are also listed as most common.
BOSA spokesman Roger Solomons said in a statement that only 5% of police officers accused of murder and rape have been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution.
This was a drop in the ocean, he said, considering that as of 31 May 2025, there were 14 907 misconduct cases opened against police officers.
Solomons said that of these cases, 1 486 were for deaths linked to police officers’ action and 97 were related to rape, allegedly by officers.
He added that Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia in a written reply question revealed that only eight convictions were secured between April and June 2025.
This included older cases and didn’t include the current backlog of over 14 000 cases.
“What is unsettling is that justice remains elusive for victims. IPID has managed to refer just 59 death cases and nine rape cases to the NPA, which is less than 5% of the cases under investigation.”
“This means that hundreds of South Africans have died at the hands of police or been sexually assaulted by officers, yet the overwhelming majority of perpetrators remain unpunished. There is an accountability deficit within SAPS and the oversight bodies meant to police them,” said Solomons.
He added that each of the almost 15 000 open misconduct cases reflected a violation of citizens’ rights by those sworn to uphold the law and yet not a single conviction has been secured from these newly reported cases.
BOSA want IPID to account to parliament for the shortcoming that include:
• The capacity shortfalls within IPID that are stalling investigations and referrals, and
• A clear set of reforms to ensure faster prosecutions and improved oversight of police conduct.
“The South African public cannot be expected to trust a police service that appears unable or unwilling to police itself. It is time for Parliament to step up and step in,” Solomons said.
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