Top Cops Under Fire: SAPS Union Warns of Crumbling Trust After Crime Links Emerge

Crisis in Command: Popcru Slams SAPS Silence on Senior Cops’ Crime Links

The credibility of South Africa’s police service has once again come under scrutiny, this time from within its own ranks. The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has voiced alarm over damaging allegations that two senior officers, both holding top positions in organised crime and anti-corruption units, have been linked to criminal networks.

The claims, aired before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry this week, paint a disturbing picture of corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement and a worrying silence from leadership.

Allegations That Shake the Core of SAPS

According to testimony before the commission, Major General Richard Shibiri, the national head of the SAPS Organised Crime Unit, allegedly had direct contact with Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a figure with deep ties to Johannesburg’s criminal underworld.

Investigators claim that money changed hands, allegedly in exchange for insider information to help Matlala and his associates avoid police investigations.

Earlier in the same inquiry, Major General Lesetja Senona, head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, was accused of maintaining a “close and beneficial” relationship with a known criminal implicated in attempted murder and corruption.

For many within the police force, these revelations cut to the bone, especially given the powerful positions both generals hold.

Popcru: “Confidence Is Crumbling”

Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the lack of decisive action from the national police office was not just disappointing, but corrosive to morale across the force.

“When senior officers face such claims yet remain in active positions without transparent updates or institutional accountability, it undermines confidence within the ranks,” said Mamabolo. “It sends a discouraging message to the very officers expected to uphold ethical standards.”

Mamabolo also stressed that while due process must be followed, the reputational damage has already begun. “We cannot ignore how these allegations affect the credibility of the entire SAPS and by extension, public trust.”

The Deafening Silence from Leadership

When asked why the implicated officers were still reporting for duty, the Police Ministry referred queries to the office of National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, calling the matter “disciplinary in nature.”

The national office did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Meanwhile, IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said the Madlanga Commission was specifically mandated to investigate criminality within SAPS and metro police services, and as such, IPID would not comment further until the process is complete.

Experts Weigh In: “Keep Them Away from Cases”

Criminologist Dr. Simon Howell told reporters that while suspending senior officials can disrupt ongoing investigations, the accused officers should be kept far from cases in which they’re implicated.

“If they are integral to operations, it’s better they’re working than sitting at home but under strict conditions,” Howell said. “They should have no access to the cases they’ve been tied to, and absolutely no contact with individuals mentioned in the allegations.”

Howell added that the continued perception of “untouchable” high-ranking officers feeds a culture of mistrust both within SAPS and among the public.

A Familiar Pattern of Scandal

This isn’t the first time the SAPS has been rocked by high-level corruption claims. Over the past decade, names like Richard Mdluli, Berning Ntlemeza, and Bheki Cele have surfaced in controversies that blurred the line between crime-fighting and political protection.

For many South Africans, this latest scandal feels like déjà vu, another headline that deepens cynicism toward a service meant to protect, not collude.

Public Reaction: “How Can We Trust the Police?”

On social media, the backlash has been sharp. “How can the same people fighting crime be working with criminals?” one user asked on X (formerly Twitter). Others demanded immediate suspension for the generals, arguing that allowing them to stay in office sends a “rotten message” about accountability.

Civil rights groups have echoed that frustration, warning that public confidence in the SAPS, already fragile, could collapse completely if the commission’s findings aren’t acted on swiftly.

With the Madlanga Commission still hearing testimony, much remains unproven. But the damage to perception is real. Popcru’s warning underscores a deeper truth: trust within the police cannot be repaired by silence.

Until senior officers are seen to be held accountable, and disciplinary processes are made transparent, both the rank-and-file and the public may continue to view the SAPS as an institution adrift in its own shadow.

{Source: IOL}

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