The DA is demanding answers from the police ministry after then-minister Bheki Cele revealed that more than 5 million case dockets had been closed since 2018.
In May, Cele revealed that a total of 5.4 million case dockets had been closed without a solution. He said some were closed due to the case dockets being stolen, while others were closed due to a lack of evidence.
DA MP Lisa Schickerling said the party had submitted a request for information under the Promotion of Access to Information Act to get a clear understanding of the situation.
Schickerling said on Wednesday the party received a detailed report from current police minister Senzo Mchunu.
“The information paints a disturbing picture, particularly in light of our country’s Women’s Month celebrations, and highlights key areas of concern in both docket management and the capacity and staffing shortages in the SAPS’ detective services,” Schickerling said.
She said the party would ask Mchunu to come and explain the shocking revelations to a parliamentary committee.
Schickerling added that the report showed that between 2018 and 2023, the number of dockets closed without results were:
Murder: 76 655, Attempted murder: 40 089, Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH): 141 026, Aggravated robbery: 256 162, Rape: 61 740, Sexual assault: 5523, and Kidnapping: 9114.
She said the highest number of dockets stolen from police stations were those of murder, assault GBH, and aggravated robbery cases.
Compiled By Staff Writer
Pictured Above: SAPS Illustration image.
Source: X
