CAPE TOWN – Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale has warned that the absence of accountability in the South African Police Service (SAPS) could lead to paralysis, affecting everyone from top officials down to officers on the ground.
Mathale was responding to a question from SAPS Ad Hoc Committee member Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, who painted a grim picture of alleged corruption within the police service.
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Breytenbach criticised what she described as a long-standing culture of no accountability, where “connected politicians and high-profile individuals slide through like a hot knife through butter” without facing consequences.
In response, Mathale acknowledged the seriousness of the problem and emphasised that accountability in the SAPS is “non-negotiable”.
“If anybody engages in wrongdoing, there must be consequences,” he said.