Over 5 Million Police Cases Closed Without Result in South Africa

In a shocking revelation, the South African Police Service (SAPS) hasclosed more than 5 million criminal caseswithout result in the past five years due to a lack of leads. This staggering figure came to light in response to a parliamentary question posed by Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Ockert Stefanus Terblanche in March 2024.

Why this matters: The failure to resolve such a large number of cases erodes public trust in the police force and the criminal justice system as a whole, potentially leading to increased lawlessness and vigilantism. Moreover, it highlights the need for urgent reforms to address the underlying issues, including inadequate resources and investigative capabilities.

Terblanche sought information from Police Minister Bheki Cele regarding the number of cases closed due to insufficient leads and the number of dockets lost or stolen in the past five financial years. TheSAPS responseconfirmed that over 5 million cases were shuttered without resolution during this period, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement in investigating and solving crimes in South Africa.

A breakdown of the closed cases reveals the severity of the situation. In the 2022/2023 financial year alone, 1,051,340 cases were closed without a result. The highest number of closed cases was recorded in 2017/2018, with 1,215,394 cases. Gauteng had the worst record of cold cases in the 2022/23 financial year, closing a total of 331,965 cases, followed by the Western Cape with 217,701 and KwaZulu-Natal with 177,415.

The issue of lost and stolen dockets further compounds the problem. In the last five years, 59 open case dockets were lost, while 10 were stolen. Alarmingly, between March 2023 and December 2023, 44 open case dockets were stolen, with Limpopo contributing 26 of those thefts.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has also been impacted by the situation, sending 1.8 million case dockets back to SAPS for further investigations since 2018. This is partly attributed to a shortage of detectives, with only 17,000 detectives responsible for investigating all crimes across the nation.

Despite a decrease in sexual-related crimes, the latest crime stats show an increase in the murder rate. In response, Police Minister Cele stressed the need to allocate more resources to stations with the highest number of reported murders, stating, "It is important to highlight that attention and more resources have been allocated to stations that have the highest number of murders reported."

The closure of over 5 million police cases without result in South Africa over the past five years underscores the urgent need for improved resources, investigative capabilities, and a strengthened criminal justice system. As the nation grapples with this alarming trend, the government and law enforcement agencies must work together to address the root causes and restore public trust in the police force.

Key Takeaways

• SAPS closed over 5 million criminal cases without result in 5 years due to lack of leads.
• 1,051,340 cases were closed without resolution in the 2022/2023 financial year alone.
• 59 open case dockets were lost, and 10 were stolen in the last 5 years.
• NPA sent 1.8 million case dockets back to SAPS for further investigations since 2018.
• Only 17,000 detectives are responsible for investigating all crimes across South Africa.