South Africa has emerged as the second-highest ranked country on the continent for organised crime, according to recent assessments highlighted during a high-level police gathering. This revelation came to light at a two-day Police Imbizo held in Pretoria, where senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officials openly addressed widespread decay, fraud, and corruption within their ranks.
Lieutenant General (Dr) Bongiwe Zulu, the SAPS ethics champion, spoke candidly about the challenges facing the organisation. She emphasised that police officials must uphold strong work ethics at all times, whether under scrutiny or not. “When we talk about ethics, there is no small wrongdoing,” Zulu stated. “Everything that you do must be right; it must be done with integrity. You must do the right thing even if no one is seeing you.”
The Imbizo, convened under the theme of integrity and ethical policing, brought together stakeholders to confront ongoing issues of fraud and corruption. Zulu described the Imbizo concept as a traditional gathering where everyone is called upon to contribute solutions to shared challenges. Despite existing policies, strategies, and oversight mechanisms—including those under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA)—problems persist, prompting reflection on implementation gaps and the need for further improvements.
Discussions focused on how the police badge has increasingly become a tool for personal gain, enabling access to benefits, luxury goods, and greed-driven activities. Zulu noted that corruption often begins with small acts—such as accepting minor bribes like 20 rand—which escalate into larger fraud and systemic issues. She stressed that ethical lapses occur at all levels, from ground-level officers interacting daily with the public to senior ranks.
Recent incidents, including a widely circulated video of an officer allegedly accepting a bribe on the street, underscore that the problem extends beyond top officials to everyday policing. Zulu acknowledged the hard work and ethical conduct of many SAPS members but called for urgent improvements in vetting processes. She pointed out that some implicated individuals had previously passed vetting and obtained security clearances, suggesting that the system is being bypassed or that post-vetting behaviour requires stronger monitoring and accountability.
Key gaps identified during the Imbizo include vulnerabilities in procurement and supply chain management, weaknesses in internal controls, oversight failures, and a pervasive “culture of silence” where wrongdoing is observed but not reported. Zulu highlighted how small “favours” can evolve into outright corruption and stressed the importance of leadership setting the right tone from the top. Ethical ambassadors, she said, must actively challenge misconduct and promote a vocabulary aligned with integrity.
Whistleblower protection emerged as a critical topic. Zulu reported that SAPS members welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcements on stronger safeguards for those who report wrongdoing, though many expressed the need for significantly reinforced protections given historical risks, including victimisation and even killings.
Behavioural risks were also addressed, with Zulu citing examples of officers succumbing to greed driven by lifestyle pressures—such as aspiring to unaffordable luxuries after observing others—leading to financial burdens and corrupt behaviour. She reminded officers that being a law enforcer means being a servant to the community, not pursuing personal wealth.
The Imbizo, held in collaboration with partners like the University of South Africa (UNISA), aimed to identify these gaps, learn from ongoing inquiries such as the Madlanga Commission and related ad hoc committees, and develop concrete resolutions. Discussions continued into the second day to finalise actionable strategies for institutionalising ethics, strengthening integrity management, and restoring public trust in the SAPS.
As South Africa grapples with its elevated position in organised crime rankings—scoring 7.43 out of 10 on the 2025 Africa Organised Crime Index, trailing only the Democratic Republic of Congo—the event underscored the urgent need for internal reform to combat both external criminal threats and internal ethical erosion.