For a soundbite by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Mr Ian Cameron, please click here: https://iono.fm/e/1668258
Parliament, Tuesday, 21 April 2026 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has called on the President to act without delay and suspend the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Fannie Masemola, following his court appearance today. Mr Cameron made it clear that while this is not a pronouncement of guilt, the credibility of SAPS cannot be left to further erosion.
“The continued hesitation to act decisively is no longer tenable. At a time when South Africans are under siege from crime, uncertainty at the very top of SAPS is unacceptable. The President must act now, suspend the National Commissioner and appoint a credible acting leader immediately,” he said.
He warned that the paralysis at senior leadership level is deepening an already critical crisis within SAPS. “Both the executive and administrative leadership of SAPS are effectively compromised. This is not a routine matter; it is a full-blown leadership crisis in an institution already struggling to meet its most basic mandate.”
Mr Cameron said the unfolding allegations and counter-allegations point to systemic failure within the police service. “This is what institutional collapse looks like. When those entrusted with upholding the law are themselves embroiled in controversy, public confidence is destroyed and criminals are emboldened.”
He reiterated the committee’s call for urgent lifestyle audits across SAPS, stressing that accountability can no longer be optional. “South Africans deserve a police service that is beyond reproach. Transparency and accountability must be enforced, not negotiated.”
On the appointment of an acting National Commissioner, Mr Cameron is unequivocal:
“There can be no recycling of compromised leadership. The acting appointment must be a person of unquestionable integrity, free from any implication in ongoing investigations, including matters before the Madlanga Commission and the Ad Hoc Committee. Anything less will further damage the institution.”
Mr Cameron concluded that failure to act decisively will send a dangerous signal. “Inaction at this stage will not be neutrality but complicity in the continued decline of SAPS.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON
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