South Africa’s murder detection rate has fallen to just 9.5%, far below the South African Police Service’s target of 60%.
The figure was highlighted by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police as it reviewed SAPS performance for the year.
According to Parliament, SAPS achieved only 49 of its 94 annual performance targets, while its Detective Services programme met nine of 22 targets.
The committee said the results point to serious weaknesses in investigations, forensic services, accountability and financial management.
Detectives Miss Key Targets
Committee chair Ian Cameron said SAPS must explain how the 9.5% murder detection rate was calculated and provide the figures behind it.
Parliament said a strong conviction rate among cases that reach court does not necessarily show how effectively police investigate all reported murders.
The committee wants SAPS to account for cases that stall, fail to reach prosecution or remain unresolved.
It also called for detectives to receive adequate support, including working vehicles, forensic capacity and better coordination with prosecutors.
Experts Warn of Wider Justice Failures
The Citizen reports that criminologist Kholofelo Rakubu believes the problem goes beyond South Africa’s high violent crime levels.
She said weaknesses in institutions can prevent authorities from identifying suspects, gathering reliable evidence and delivering justice to victims. University of Limpopo criminologist Witness Maluleke also raised concerns about corruption, poor investigative practices and delays in forensic processing.
Institute for Security Studies expert Willem Els told The Citizen that inadequate intelligence, weak leadership and limited resources have compromised SAPS’s crime-detection capacity.
Parliament Demands Corrective Action
The 60% murder detection target was introduced in SAPS’s revised 2025/26 Annual Performance Plan, according to parliamentary records.
Parliament has now called for urgent corrective action, warning that stalled investigations and delayed evidence can leave victims’ families waiting for justice and weaken confidence in policing.
The committee said its recommendations should result in measurable improvements rather than become another compliance exercise.