The staggering cost of wrongful arrests

Unlawful arrests or detentions cost the South African Police Service (SAPS) over R620-million in 2024/25, according to an answer in Parliament by Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia.

There are still 48,569 outstanding claims across the country, which could cost SAPS R56.7-billion should they all be successful, which is unlikely.

Claims arise when people take legal action, usually through the courts, against SAPS for detaining or arresting them without sufficient cause.

There has been a steady increase in the number of claims and the amount paid out over the past three years:

• 2022/23: 4,547 incidents, with about R542-million paid out
• 2023/24: 5,527 incidents, with about R491-million paid out
• 2024/25: 6,679 incidents, with about R620-million paid out

In the North West alone, 2,148 claims were settled at a cost of R207-million in 2024/25. In the preceding two years, North West had a high but smaller number of claims, between 1,200 and 1,600, ranking closer to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The reasons for the high number of cases in the North West, especially in 2024/25, are unclear. SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe did not respond to questions about this. However, incidents related to the Marikana strikes are likely a contributing factor.

“These claims … include … some of the payments made through the years emanating from the Marikana incidents in North West Province,” Cachalia said in his response to Parliament.

Support independent journalism
Donate using Payfast