1.9 Million Cases in Limbo
Cape Town:- South Africa’s police force is buckling under a massive backlog of 1.9 million outstanding case dockets, with a critical shortage of detectives exacerbating the crisis.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, speaking in Cape Town, admitted the situation is “totally abnormal” and could take at least two years to resolve due to financial constraints. Each detective is overwhelmed with an excessive number of cases, making effective investigations nearly impossible.
To tackle the crisis, 4,500 new recruits have been added to the detective division, and efforts are underway to retain experienced officers. However, salary disparities between detectives and uniformed police officers continue to drive resignations.
With limited government funds, the private sector may be called upon for support, particularly for salaries and vehicle procurement. A summit in April aims to improve conditions for detectives, but until then, justice remains on hold for millions of cases.
Read more: The Citizen
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