More than 5,000 cases of alleged police misconduct were registered by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) in the 2025/26 financial year, including hundreds involving gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
IPID registered 5,259 cases between April 2025 and March 2026, with assault and torture accounting for the largest share at 3,468 cases.
The figures were contained in IPID’s 2025/26 Annual Report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday by Police Minister Firoz Cachalia.
The report also recorded 669 cases involving the discharge of an official firearm and 464 deaths as a result of police action.
The Western Cape recorded the highest number of cases at 905, followed closely by Gauteng with 898. KwaZulu-Natal recorded 722 cases, while the Eastern Cape registered 717.
Cachalia said effective policing depended on the public viewing the police service as legitimate and trustworthy, highlighting the role of IPID in investigating alleged misconduct independently.
Of the 5,259 cases registered, 332 were linked to GBVF.
These included 122 referrals, mainly relating to domestic violence, 116 alleged rapes by police officers, 58 cases of assault and torture, 24 murders and 10 cases involving the discharge of official firearms.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of GBVF-related cases at 60, followed by Gauteng with 58, the Free State with 52, and the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape with 27 each.
The figures also showed an increase in cases of alleged rape by police officers.
IPID recorded 116 rape cases in 2025/26, compared with 95 during the previous financial year. Of the latest cases, 72 allegedly involved officers who were on duty, while 44 allegedly involved officers who were off duty.
Several police stations recorded multiple GBVF cases.
Kimberley in the Northern Cape and Marianhill in KwaZulu-Natal recorded seven cases each, followed by Madadeni in KwaZulu-Natal with six. Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal, Humewood in the Eastern Cape and Welkom in the Free State each recorded five cases.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said the figures highlighted the importance of independent investigations when police officers were accused of criminal conduct.
“IPID’s mandate is to investigate allegations of criminality and misconduct against members of the police and municipal police services independently and impartially,” Suping said.
The directorate also reported an improvement in the number of criminal convictions secured against police officers.
IPID secured 84 criminal convictions during the year under review, compared with 43 in the previous year. The sentences ranged from several months’ imprisonment to life imprisonment.
Twenty-six of the 84 convictions were related to GBVF.
IPID investigators also made 281 arrests for various crimes during the year.
By March 31, 2026, a total of 994 cases had been enrolled in various courts following IPID recommendations to the National Prosecuting Authority to institute criminal proceedings against police officers.
The directorate also recorded progress in disciplinary action.
A total of 277 disciplinary recommendations were concluded by the South African Police Service, with sanctions ranging from written warnings to dismissal.
Under Section 30 of the IPID Act, police authorities are required to institute disciplinary proceedings within 30 days of receiving recommendations from IPID and provide progress reports to the Police Minister and IPID.
The figures come as IPID continues to investigate cases in which police officers are accused of serious crimes.
In a separate 2026 case, IPID arrested six people, including former and serving police officers, over the alleged murder of Brakpan businessman Emmanuel Mbense. The accused include former EMPD officials and former SAPS members. All six were denied bail in September and face charges including murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating the ends of justice.
IPID has also investigated alleged criminal conduct involving police officers in the alleged unlawful seizure of precious stones worth about R15 million in Johannesburg, with several suspects arrested.
Suping said the directorate would continue to pursue cases against officers who allegedly transgressed the law, while stressing the importance of accountability within the police service.
“The integrity of policing depends on officers being held accountable when they cross the line,” she said.
The report underscores the scale of allegations facing law enforcement, while the convictions, arrests and court enrollments reflect the criminal justice processes that follow IPID investigations.
