Responding to questions in a recent parliamentary Q&A, South African Police (SAPS) minister Bheki Cele confirmed that an average of 21% of all police vehicles in the country and 16% of vehicles used by detectives are not in working condition.
According to figures provided by the minister, the provinces that are the most affected comprise KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Northern Cape, all three having over 26% of their police cars being inoperable.
“These distressing statistics echo the desperate cries from communities across South Africa who say that they never see an SAPS vehicle,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Andrew Whitfield.
“South Africans have complained to the DA that response times from SAPS are unacceptably slow and that in many cases SAPS never arrives – this is compounded by the unacceptable state of our 10111 call centres which the DA exposed in January this year.”
Earlier in 2023, the DA revealed that SAPS call centres only have around 41% of the required staff needed to fill all positions, and as a result, over seven million emergency calls from citizens in distress are dropped every year.
No wheels to stop crime
While the notable levels of non-functioning police vehicles in South Africa were once an indication of a police force being starved of necessary resources, it now has further implications.
“This shortage of vehicles also has serious consequences for victims of crime, as law enforcement is unable to react to incidents or to race to the aid of victims,” said Solidarity Research Institute’s Theuns du Buisson.
The decay in the SAPS isn’t limited to its transport, either.
Solidarity’s report on the state of the country’s Detective Service also shows neglect of offices and a shortage of necessary equipment, including vital forensic tools as well as basic office equipment such as stationary and “even toilet paper,” said Du Buisson.
“These figures emphasize the contempt the government and police have towards their own officials, and by implication, also for the citizens of the country as defenseless victims of crime.”
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