Police committed to the introduction of body-worn cameras by April 2025, yet a year later this deadline has passed without implementation or explanation by Acting Minister Prof. Firoz Cachalia.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the failure to implement police body-worn cameras as South Africa’s police accountability crisis deepens.
Without objective, real-time evidence, investigations are weakened, cases collapse, and prosecutions fail. This not only prevents justice where wrongdoing has occurred, but also leaves honest police officers exposed to false allegations.
Recent Parliamentary replies reveal alarming gaps between police conduct, oversight, and consequence management. Replies to questions submitted by the DA in the NCOP show that over the past two years:
- Nearly 1,000 suspects have been killed during police operations,
- Only 145 convictions have resulted from investigations by the SAPS,
- Over 3,800 cases were referred to the NPA with many declined or still pending.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the situation is particularly severe:
- 296 suspects killed,
- Only 9 convictions secured.
The Eastern Cape and Gauteng follow closely, confirming that this is a national crisis of accountability.
At the same time, 31 police officers have been killed in the line of duty, many while performing routine duties such as responding to complaints, conducting patrols, and escorting suspects. This highlights the dangerous environment in which officers operate, while also underscoring the urgent need for systems that both protect officers and ensure accountability.
Body-worn cameras are essential to:
- Provide credible, real-time evidence in police operations,
- Strengthen IPID investigations and prosecution outcomes,
- Protect officers against false claims,
- Restore public confidence in policing.
While the SAPS drags its feet, the DA-led City of Cape Town is currently rolling out its second phase of body-worn cameras for Metro Police. The initial implementation successfully deployed 1,250 shared cameras across the Safety and Security Directorate. Building on this progress, a further 1,000 cameras are now being rolled out under a second tender. These devices strengthen oversight, improving transparency, and supporting safer communities across Cape Town. A rollout to the SAPS could do more to improve and support.
The DA has secured agreement from Parliament’s Select Committee on Security and Justice to convene a joint briefing with SAPS, IPID and the NPA to account for the failures revealed in these replies, including the missed deadline for body camera implementation.
The DA will use this platform to demand clear timelines, accountability for the delay, and urgent implementation of body-worn cameras.
The DA will continue to intensify oversight and push for reforms to ensure a professional, accountable and effective police service that protects both citizens and officers.