The South African Police Service says it will be undertaking assessments to determine the effectiveness of established Community Safety Forums (CSFs) and Community Policing Forums (CPFs).

The police will also provide training workshops which will be conducted in selected high crime rate areas to equip CPF members to support policing and crime prevention efforts.

This is according to Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale who was speaking during the Budget Vote debate on Friday.

Community Policing Forums were set up to involve all local stakeholders and key organisations in local policing. They meet regularly with the officers in charge of the local police station and discuss problems and solutions to crime in their area.

Providing an update on the work of the Ministry, the Deputy Minister said the Civilian Secretariat for Police (CSPS) developed the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy (ICVPS), which was approved by Cabinet and “remains one of the apex strategic interventions to reduce violence and crime in a holistic approach in all spheres of government”.

The CSPS has developed the National Policing Policy (NPP), which was approved by Cabinet on 14 May 2025 to address challenges such as inadequate police stations, capacity issues and ensure that infrastructure is based on proper norms and standards.  

The NPP also makes provisions for creating professional and quality policing; providing efficient and effective policing service delivery; improving legitimacy and trust between communities and the police; building a strong and ethical leadership, management and governance architecture within the SAPS.

“Honourable members, this is a significant policy shift in the South African Policing landscape.

“CSPS will also focus on the finalisation of the Policy on Familial DNA Searches (FDS), which gives effect to Section 15M of the Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Act 37 of 2013. The FDS is a forensic technique employed by law enforcement agencies to identify genetic relatedness among DNA profiles in forensic databases.

“In addition, the CSPS will enhance the monitoring of the Forensic Science Laboratories with a view of ensuring that processing of exhibits is done timeously and challenges are identified on time and resolved efficiently. The effective laboratory services contribute to the quick resolutions of court cases, thus ensuring that victims of crime receive justice,” said Mathale.

As a legislative and policy wing of the Ministry of Police, the CSPS will introduce two Bills in Parliament in 2025/26 financial year. These are the South African Police Amendment Bill and the Firearms Control Amendment Bill.

Mathale said the Ministry of Police has entered into partnerships with critical stakeholders to enhance police performance through cooperation agreements with provinces and municipalities – aimed at sharing a vision for safety and security within cities and communities.

“Various initiatives, programmes and strategies through these agreements will be implemented in the medium term. To date, four provinces and their respective metros have signed the aforesaid cooperation agreements namely; Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.”

In an effort to contribute to the effective implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), the CSPS will continue to conduct the following initiatives:

-    Monitoring of SAPS compliance to and implementation of the Domestic Violence Act;
-    Oversight visits over the top 30 police stations with high levels of GBV related crimes (nationally);
-    Court watching briefs to identify systemic issues that lead to the withdrawal of GBVF related cases – with particular focus on police responsibilities; and
-    Awareness campaigns involving community and faith-based organisations, institutions of higher learning and other government departments.

“In order to deliver effectively on the mandate of the CSPS, the department is allocated a total budget of R172 245 million for the 2025/26 financial year. This is an increase of R16.281 million from the adjusted budget of R155.964 million for 2024/25 financial year and includes an inflation adjustment and R9.187 additional funding for Compensation of Employees.

“This increase is for the filling of the two posts of Deputy Directors-General and their support staff as well as the cost of living adjustment for 2025/26. The micro organisational structure is being reviewed in order to increase capacity in line with the departmental strategy and mandates,” said the Deputy Minister. –