R131 Million in Sick Leave: Is SAPS Paying for Real Recovery or Rewarding Abuse?

As the police fight crime, the public wants answers about who’s fighting fit and who’s milking the system

Over R131 million.
That’s how much the South African Police Service (SAPS) has paid to officers on sick leave for over six months during the past financial year. And South Africans aren’t exactly convinced it’s all legit.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu dropped the bombshell in Parliament while responding to questions about the state of the force. According to his report, 618 officers are currently on extended sick leave and yes, still drawing a full salary.

The number, both in people and rands, has sparked outrage, not just because of the cost, but because SAPS already struggles with under-staffing, low morale, and surging crime.

Is This Compassion, or a Culture of Abuse?

South Africans have no issue with supporting genuinely ill officers. Policing is high-stress, often traumatic work. But the size of the bill and the length of absences raises eyebrows.

Criminologist Willem Els says there’s a built-in system for checking abuse. “If a commander suspects a member is faking it, they can send them to a district surgeon for evaluation,” he explained. That’s part of the service agreement.

Still, the sheer number of long-term absentees suggests something’s broken.

Crime investigator Chad Thomas echoed this, urging SAPS to determine which officers truly need to be medically boarded, and which might be abusing the system. “For the sake of their well-being and for the integrity of SAPS, this needs urgent attention,” he said.

Money Well-Spent or Misused?

On the other hand, not everyone sees the sick leave expenditure as misuse.

Prof Witness Maluleke, a criminologist from the University of Limpopo, offered a more nuanced take. “These officers are still members of SAPS until proven otherwise. Many are expected to return and strengthen an already stretched force,” he said.

But even he admits the ideal officer-to-citizen ratio is impossible under current conditions.

The Political Pushback: ‘This Is a Misuse of Public Funds’

Not surprisingly, political parties are calling for heads to roll.

Lisa-Maré Schickerling, DA deputy spokesperson on the police, called the R131 million “shocking” and a blatant misuse of public funds. Her party wants an independent audit into the spending.

“There’s no transparency on how many of these officers are genuinely ill, and how many are gaming the system,” she said.

The Bigger Picture: A Broken Police Culture?

For some, the sick leave crisis is just another symptom of a wider rot within SAPS. Understaffed, demoralized, and mistrusted, many officers feel unsupported, while the public feels unsafe. When internal systems are easily manipulated, trust erodes further.

On social media, South Africans didn’t hold back:

“If I could get paid full salary for chilling six months, I’d ‘join the force’ too.” – @MaJulesZA
“Meanwhile, our neighbourhood hasn’t seen a cop in weeks.” – @LeboThabo27
“Imagine being robbed and the officer assigned to your case is ‘off sick’ indefinitely. This country is wild.” – @notfunnybuttrue

What Needs to Happen Next

• An independent audit of sick leave claims

• A review of medical boarding and return-to-duty assessments

• Transparent reporting on mental health support and trauma recovery for officers

• Stronger oversight to prevent system abuse

We Can’t Fight Crime With Ghost Cops

South Africans understand that police officers are human. They get sick, face trauma, and deserve rest and care. But R131 million in paid absences? That demands explanation. In a country battling gender-based violence, cash-in-transit heists, and organised crime, we simply can’t afford invisible cops and invisible accountability.

The public deserves a police force that’s healthy, honest, and present. Anything less isn’t just a financial waste it’s a threat to national safety.

{Source: The Citizen}

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