R650 Million in SAPS Irregular Expenditure — A Betrayal of Public Trust and Fiscal Discipline

Johannesburg, Thursday, 3 November 2025 — Public Interest SA expresses deep outrage and grave concern over the revelation by the Auditor-General that the South African Police Service (SAPS) incurred a staggering R650 million in irregular expenditure during the 2024/25 financial year. This revelation, presented before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, underscores a shocking pattern of systemic mismanagement, procurement abuse, and dereliction of duty within one of the nation’s most critical institutions.

At a time when violent crime, corruption, and public insecurity are ravaging communities, the revelation that SAPS has squandered public resources through non-compliant procurement, payments for services never rendered, and unused equipment represents an unforgivable betrayal of the public trust. It is inconceivable that a department tasked with upholding law and order is itself one of the largest violators of fiscal probity and compliance laws.

The Auditor-General’s findings — albeit nothing new — confirm what many South Africans have long suspected: that SAPS has become an epicentre of waste and impunity, shielded by a culture of internal tolerance for wrongdoing and a chronic failure of leadership.

Equally disconcerting is the fact that despite these glaring financial irregularities, SAPS once again received an “unqualified audit opinion with findings.” This outcome speaks volumes about the hollow nature of South Africa’s audit compliance regime, which prioritises procedural box-ticking over genuine accountability.

That IPID, the police watchdog, achieved a clean audit while the SAPS regresses, further exposes the rot. It highlights how accountability thrives only when political interference and entrenched cronyism are absent.

The Auditor-General’s report is not an isolated case; it reflects a deep institutional malaise that has long plagued SAPS. This includes the failure to implement funded projects, the hoarding of unused equipment, and the recycling of past irregularities year after year. Such conduct betrays not only incompetence but also a deliberate disregard for financial discipline, ethics, and the constitutional obligation to act in the public interest.

Public Interest SA calls on the Minister of Police, Prof. Firoz Cachalia, and the National Commissioner to urgently account for these failures before Parliament and the nation. Empty platitudes about “internal corrective measures” will no longer suffice.

We demand:

1. A full-scale forensic audit of all irregular expenditures, with a focus on contracts and payments for undelivered services.

2. Immediate public disclosure of all officials and suppliers implicated.

3. Suspension and criminal prosecution of those responsible for financial misconduct.

4. Systemic reform of SAPS procurement and asset management frameworks, with enhanced Treasury oversight.

5. A detailed 60-day report to Parliament on recovery efforts and disciplinary actions taken.

Meanwhile, we remain dumbfounded as to why Major General Shibiri, Hawks KZN Head, has not yet been suspended pending his response to the serious allegations made against him under oath before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The continuing presence of such a senior officer in his post while grave allegations linger undermines the credibility of SAPS leadership and reinforces the perception that the institution protects its own at the expense of justice and integrity.

South Africans deserve a police service that upholds the law — not one that habitually breaks it. Until those responsible for financial and ethical misconduct face real consequences, SAPS will remain a symbol of squandered resources, squandered trust, and squandered hope.

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Issued by: Public Interest SA Communication