Tackling police corruption in South Africa

By David Bruce and Gareth Newham

With good leadership and clear strategy, corruption can be tackled, with many benefits for policing in South Africa.

There is abundant evidence of high levels of corruption in the South African Police Service (SAPS), metro and traffic police. Police corruption affects all ranks and many police activities. It is a key contributor to low levels of public trust in police, as well as poor policing outcomes. With proper leadership and clear strategic interventions, corruption can be tackled, with many benefits for the SAPS and policing in South Africa.

Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2025. 16p.