Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron visited the K9 Unit in Cape Town.
Image: Supplied
An unannounced visit to the South African Police Service (SAPS) K9 Unit in Cape Town has raised concerns within the Portfolio Committee on Police.
Chairperson of the committee, Ian Cameron of the Democratic Alliance (DA) said the clear disregard of the K9 unit diminishes the effectiveness of the capability of the SAPS to fight various categories of crime that affect the country.
“On Friday, January 31, 2025, my colleagues and I undertook an unannounced visit to the Cape Town K9 Unit where our observations should worry all South Africans. It is evident that the unit is close to complete collapse, a picture that is reflective of the general conditions in the country. The SAPS management seems oblivious to the world-accepted role and capability that K9 unit dogs can play in fighting crime,” Cameron said.
He explained the observations made during the visit indicated a crisis in leadership, a lack of understanding of this critical capability, or worse, dereliction of duty.
Cameron said it is unacceptable that there are only two operational dogs at the Cape Town K9 Unit.
“In a city overrun by drugs and gangsterism, the presence of an international airport and harbour which could be used as entry points for narcotics, it is unacceptable to have such limited resources to fight crime,” he said.
Cameron said while the Cape Town situation is concerning, the national picture is even worse, and that questions the commitment from SAPS management to effectively fight crime.
“It is incomprehensible that 50% of dog handlers in Cape Town alone do not have dogs, the training at Roodeplant is ineffective and outdated, and the SAPS continue to rely on a strategy to train their dogs, a process that takes time and is not responsive to the current needs,” Cameron said.
He emphasised that the K9 Unit is a strategic intervention for its capability to track criminals, detect explosives, and uncover narcotics and that capability makes it deployable in rescue missions.
“The inability of the SAPS management to recognise that capability or to ignore it indicates a deeper problem of unwillingness to implement strategic interventions to fight crime, especially the elimination of the deepening prevalence of drugs in the country,” Cameron said.
It was further emphasised that there is an urgent need for the national commissioner to undertake an intensive skills audit of the unit, starting at management level, as this, according to Cameron, is a clear case of dereliction of duty on their part.
A review of the strategy not to purchase already trained dogs to close the current gap will also be reviewed.
“It is important that the SAPS implements every strategy that exists to fight crime. The SAPS’ complete disregard of the K9 unit is an indictment on the ability and commitment to fight crime,” Cameron said.
He pointed out that the failure of the SAPS management to use the K9 unit has a direct negative impact on the morale of dedicated men and women within it.
Cameron stated a clear and innovative intervention is desired and necessary now more than ever before to ensure the effectiveness of the unit.
“National and provincial managers within this unit must be held accountable for clear mismanagement of the unit’s inability to keep it functional,” he said.
The committee would be calling the SAPS management to account for their plans to revitalise the unit to fight crime.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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