Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia announced on 25 July 2026 that the Ministry has launched steps to address internal challenges within the South African Police Service (SAPS), in direct response to issues highlighted by the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has formed a dedicated task team to investigate SAPS members named in the commission’s interim report, which recommended criminal probes into five senior police officials and nine Ekurhuleni municipal officers for alleged corruption and misconduct.

Task Team And Accountability Measures

Masemola confirmed on 6 February 2026 that the new team would assume oversight of referrals from the Madlanga Commission, centralising and intensifying investigations that were previously managed by units such as the Political Killing Task Team and SAPS’s serious and violent crimes divisions. Speaking at a media briefing, Masemola said, “It is important to note that some of these cases were already being investigated… However, now that there is this team that we have established, it will then take over these referrals and start the investigation.”

Minister Cachalia, addressing the media, stated, “We have established mechanisms for accountability and, importantly, implementation has already begun.” These steps follow recommendations from the commission, which was set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa in early 2025 to confront allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption affecting SAPS and the broader criminal justice system.

Commission Revelations And Systemic Issues

The Madlanga Commission’s proceedings, including testimony from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in September 2025, revealed that political interference and corruption are severely hindering SAPS’s operational capacity. Mkhwanazi warned the inquiry of persistent meddling in police work and endemic corruption, saying, “The challenges we face in relation to the work we do as police, which involve criminality, and the political interference on the work that we do as the police, which will also include corruption within the value chain of the justice system, which we are part of as law enforcement.”

Other evidence presented to the commission detailed severe staff shortages and chronic backlogs in crucial forensic sections, notably SAPS’s ballistics unit, where over 29,000 firearms remain in storage awaiting analysis by just 42 experts. These operational weaknesses were cited as factors undermining police efficiency and eroding public trust in law enforcement. According to official statements, the current reforms are intended to restore accountability and reinforce public confidence through transparent investigations and systemic improvements across the SAPS.

The Madlanga Commission is expected to issue its final report later in 2026, with further institutional changes likely to follow as SAPS leadership continues with policy and personnel reforms in line with government directives.