While AfriForum neighbourhood watches flourish, SAPS reservist programme is collapsing
The steady decline of the South African Police Services (SAPS) reservist programme over the past few years is a point of great concern for AfriForum, given that hundreds of citizens are more than willing to contribute to the protection of their neighbourhoods through AfriForum’s 177 neighbourhood watches nationwide.
Recently only 57 new reservist recruits completed their first phase of training in the Free State, but this training is not being offered consistently nationwide. While SAPS has budgeted almost R6 billion annually to recruit an additional 30 000 police officers by 2026, SAPS has allowed its vital reservist corps to shrink by a staggering 90% over the past decade. In contrast, AfriForum’s neighbourhood watches have grown with approximately 15% over the last two years.
“This proves that civilians are eager to lend a hand in the fight against crime. SAPS failure to keep enough reservists on hand not only compromises community safety but raises serious questions about SAPS’ commitment to bolstering law enforcement’s resources,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety.
Due to the catastrophic failure in maintaining a crucial force multiplier in the fight against crime, AfriForum has submitted a formal application under the Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) to demand transparency regarding SAPS’ handling of the reservist programme. AfriForum has, among other things, asked to be informed about the number of police reservists that has been recruited since 2010 up until the end of 2024; how many reservists are currently active; and how often new reservists are trained.
“The drastic reduction in reservist numbers points to either gross mismanagement or a deliberate sidelining of a critical community policing mechanism. SAPS has repeatedly failed to acknowledge the essential role reservists play in assisting an already overstretched and under-resourced police force. Communities across South Africa suffer daily due to rising crime, yet SAPS has failed to maintain and strengthen a programme that could significantly aid in combating this crisis,” says Broodryk.
AfriForum insists on total transparency from SAPS and concrete solutions to this issue. AfriForum will not tolerate empty promises or bureaucratic evasion. The collapse of the reservist programme is a devastating failure by police leadership, and we call on the Police Minister and SAPS to account for this negligence.
Law-abiding citizens who wish to serve as reservists must be given the opportunity to contribute to community safety. If SAPS fails to provide the community with such an opportunity, citizen can join one of AfriForum’s many neighbourhood watches nationwide. Click here to join forces with AfriForum’s neighbourhood watches.
