JCPS cluster working to boost trust in police: Mashatile

Mashatile says the low levels of trust show South Africans do not feel safe and secure.

He addressed a conference reviewing the Criminal Procedure Act in Boksburg on Tuesday morning in his capacity as the chair of the cabinet's security cluster.

Mashatile said the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster will intensify their action in the coming weeks.

“As a result, over the next few months, the JCPS cluster strategically plans key interventions from multiple departments to address the prevailing crime situation. These efforts will notably focus on combating violent and organised crime, with a dedicated emphasis on addressing corruption, and among other things:

• Maintaining targeted efforts to address Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and its impact on individuals and communities.

• Establishing an independent entity called the Investigating Directorate against Corruption within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

• Enhancing the effectiveness of the Whistle-Blowers Act.

• Finalising revisions to the Criminal Procedure Act to bolster efforts to combat both crime and corruption," said Mashatile.

According to a 2022 survey conducted by Corruption Watch, between 1998 and 2010, the average level of trust in the police ranged between 39% and 42%.

This was followed by a sharp decline between 2011 and 2013, following the killing by police of 34 striking miners at Marikana, North West Province, in August 2012.

The 2016 to 2020 period's lack of trust in officers was characterised by modest fluctuation between 31% and 35%. The hard COVID-19 lockdown imposed in 2020 saw instances of police brutality.

In 2021, public trust in the police dipped to a low 27%. This appears to be linked to the July 2021 social unrest.

In recent years, there has been a surge in vigilantism and mob justice because of community members not trusting the police to arrest criminals.

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