The Independent Police Investigative Directorate IPID reports from the past five years show that 158 South African Police Service SAPS members have been convicted of crimes, including murder, rape, corruption, GBV, and torture.
On Friday, the Gauteng provincial Portfolio Committee on Community Safety expressed outrage over allegations that 27 of the 95 SAPS members reported to the IPID for sexual violence in 2024/2025 are from the province. Rape cases reported to the IPID increased by 35 percent for the Gauteng province compared to the previous report year of 2023/2024.
Rape convictions in the police serviceAccording to the 2024/2025 annual report of the IPID, of the 27 cases of rape by police officers reported for the year, eight of the cases were referred to the NPA for criminal prosecution. A broader look over five years between 2020-2024 for the country, shows that 11 SAPS members were convicted for rape by a police officer on/off duty, with the Western Cape leading with five convictions, followed by Gauteng with three convictions.
