The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, has expressed concern over the clear disregard of the South African Police Service's (SAPS's) K9 unit, and that according to him diminishes the effectiveness of the capability of the SAPS to fight various categories of crimes that affect the country.
"On Friday 31 January 2025, my colleagues and I undertook an unannounced visit to the Cape Town K-9 Unit where our observations should worry all South Africans. It is evident that the unit is close to complete collapse, a picture that is reflective of the general conditions in the country. The SAPS management seems oblivious to the world accepted role and capability that K9 unit dogs can play in fighting crime," Mr Cameron said.
The observations made during the visit indicate a crisis in leadership, a lack of understanding of this critical capability or worse dereliction of duty. Mr Cameron regards as unacceptable that there are only two operational dogs at the Cape Town K9 Unit. He also said: "In a city overrun by drugs and gangsterism, the presence of an international airport and harbour which could be used as entry points for narcotics, it is unacceptable to have such limited resources to fight crime."
Mr Cameron said while the Cape Town situation is concerning, the national picture is even worse and that questions the commitment of the SAPS management to effectively fight crime. It is incomprehensible that 50% of dog handlers in Cape Town alone do not have dogs, the training at Roodeplant is ineffective and outdated, and the SAPS continue to rely on a strategy to train their dogs, a process that takes time and is not responsive to the current needs.
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Mr Cameron emphasised that the K-9 Unit is a strategic intervention for its capability to track criminals, detect explosives, uncover narcotics, and that capability makes it deployable in rescue missions. He said the inability of the SAPS management to recognise that capability or to ignore it indicates a deeper problem of unwillingness to implement strategic interventions to fight crime, especially the elimination of the deepening prevalence of drugs in the country.
The Chairperson emphasised that there is an urgent need for the National Commissioner to undertake an intensive skills audit of the unit, starting at management level, as there is clear case of dereliction of duty on their part. The Chairperson also called for a review of the strategy not to purchase already trained dogs as this will close the current gap.
He added: "It is important that the SAPS implements every strategy that exists to fight crime. The SAPS' complete disregard of the K-9 unit is an indictment on the ability and commitment to fight crime."
Mr Cameron pointed out that the failure by SAPS managers to use the unit has a direct negative impact on the morale of dedicated men and women within it. He said a clear and innovative intervention is desired and necessary now than ever before to ensure the effectiveness of the unit. "National and provincial managers within this unit must be held accountable for clear mismanagement of the unit's inability to keep it functional," Mr Cameron emphasised.
He said the committee will call the SAPS management to account on their plans to revitalise the unit to fight crime.
