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While SAPS marks successes, crime intelligence challenges limit action on organised crime

While SAPS marks successes, crime intelligence challenges limit action on organised crime
Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)
Siyabonga Goni
By Siyabonga Goni
26 Nov 2024
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Presenting the latest crime statistics on Monday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said police are still ‘battling the growing menace of organised crime’. An expert laid the blame for the lack of success at the door of crime intelligence.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has made inroads in dealing with the crimes of murder, robbery, and sexual offences between July and September 2024 but Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says the police are battling against ‘the growing menace of organised crime.

On Monday, 25 November 2024, Mchunu released the quarterly crime statistics in Johannesburg and revealed that serious crimes showed an overall quarter-on-quarter decline of 5.1%. 

“Contact crime decreased by 3%, property-related crime saw a reduction of 9.9%  and other serious crime decreased by 3.4%. Focusing on contact crime, the statistics indicate that murder decreased by 5.8%, sexual offences by 2.5% and robbery with aggravating circumstances by 8.8%,” Mchunu said.

Other crimes such as rape decreased by 3.1%, while robbery at residential premises and non-residential premises decreased by 1.3% and 21.1% respectively.

Increases were recorded in attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and commercial crime, which rose by 2.2%, 1.0% and 18.5% respectively.

Mchunu, however, added: “We are battling the growing menace of organised crime, and we are also grappling with economic crimes that threaten the foundations of our economy and the livelihoods of millions of South Africans, including extortion and criminality on critical infrastructure.”

The fight against organised crime


Responding to Daily Maverick’s question on whether the SAPS is losing the battle against organised crime, Mchunu’s spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said: “The minister is confident that all forms of crime will be dealt with, inclusive of organised crime; the ministry has confidence in the SAPS and the DPCI [the Hawks]. The ministry is strengthening internal capacity through revising the internal structure and filling critical posts.”

Speaking to Daily Maverick about the growing challenge of organised crime, former Institute for Security Studies (ISS) member and consultant Dr Johan Burger said South Africa faced local organised crime, criminal groups or syndicates as well as international crime syndicates.

“The criminal justice system allows these criminals grouping space to manoeuvre, and we will see a continuation of the rise in our serious and violent crime level. If we want to become more effective in the fight against organised crime, we need the police to sort out the crime intelligence.

“The minister and the national commissioner will have to be far more assertive in how they deal with crime intelligence and the leadership battles that are taking place there; they need to get the right people in place that can take crime intelligence forward and that can utilise the resources that they have,” Burger said.

He, however, applauded Mchunu for his work in trying to decrease the crime rate.

According to the 2023 Global Organised Index, South Africa is ranked seventh out of 193 countries surveyed for organised crime.

SAPS crime fighting this quarter


philippi police mchunu Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu highlighted a range of SAPS breakthroughs in the latest quarter. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)



The police minister highlighted some of the breakthroughs this quarter, including arrests for the murder of the 17 people who were gunned down in two houses in Nyathi village, Ngobozana, Lusikisiki.

Read more: Lusikisiki village hit by heinous Friday night mass shooting – 17 people gunned down

“These tragic incidents underscore the urgent need to address deeply rooted familial conflicts and improve community engagement to prevent such violence… These events serve as a call to action for collaborative efforts to disrupt organised crime and reinforce justice,” Mchunu said.

He also mentioned the 95 Libyan nationals arrested in Mpumalanga for immigration violations and suspected unlawful military training.

Read more: Libyans arrested at SA security training firm linked to group which once tried to topple UN-backed Tripoli government

In Gauteng, SAPS led a major breakthrough with two raids that uncovered a major mandrax and drug manufacturing lab, including tools valued at R2.6-million. The raids resulted in four arrests and the confiscation of crystal meth worth R300-million confiscated.

Mchunu said the SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal is making significant progress in dealing with armed criminal gangs and various murder hotspots.

More than 262,396 arrests, from 7,549 high-density operations, were made during Operation Shanela, which involved roadblocks, high-visibility patrols, stop and searches, as well as tracing of wanted suspects.

Mchunu said that in this quarter, “Seventeen police officials were murdered (13 off-duty, 4 on-duty). The Directorate arrested 17 suspects and secured seven convictions, including four life sentences.” 

“We have been exploring the possibility as to how the SAPS can assist families with civil claims against those responsible for the murder of police officers,” Mchunu said.

Despite these breakthroughs, Mchunu acknowledged that crime intelligence, technology and forensics needed to be strengthened.

“We are not where we should be.” DM

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