The South African Police Service (SAPS) management has faced sharp criticism in Parliament over its vetting procedures, with the Police Portfolio Committee questioning why some officers have yet to complete the process.
During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, MP Faidel Adams raised concerns about the credibility of police leadership, revealing that only one provincial police commissioner— from the Northern Cape—holds a valid security clearance.
“As a matter of fact, the divisional commissioner of Crime Intelligence previously had a falsified security clearance. While he now holds a valid one, the same cannot be said for other provincial commissioners,” Adams stated. “Without proper vetting, their authority is questionable, and any decision they’ve signed off on could potentially be overturned.”
National Commissioner Responds
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola acknowledged the issue, admitting that some senior officers had not submitted the required documents for clearance.
“There are senior management members without security clearance, largely due to incomplete document submissions,” Masemola said. “We have now issued a directive to all 800 senior management members, setting a deadline for them to submit all outstanding documents.”
With concerns mounting over police accountability, SAPS leadership is under pressure to resolve the vetting backlog and restore public confidence in the force.