JOHANNESBURG, July 25– South Africa is accelerating the digital transformation of its policing system as part of broader efforts to tackle crime, corruption and inefficiency, Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia said on Saturday.
Speaking at a media briefing in White River, Mpumalanga Province, after meeting members of the Executive Councils responsible for Community Safety, Cachalia outlined a “reset agenda” aimed at strengthening policing and restoring public confidence in law enforcement.
The meeting came amid heightened scrutiny of the South African Police Service following allegations before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that some police officials had colluded with organized crime groups, including drug cartels.
Noting that technology and digital transformation remain central pillars of the reset agenda, Cachalia said “work continues to modernise police stations, digitize policing systems, improve investigative capability and strengthen information management.”
Procurement and supply chain reforms are accelerated in partnership with the National Treasury to improve transparency, eliminate opportunities for corruption and ensure that public resources are directed towards frontline policing, he added.
The acting minister said the police will increase cooperation with civil society, business, traditional leadership, faith-based organizations and organized community structures to strengthen crime prevention efforts.
Police are implementing the integrated, intelligence-driven and multidisciplinary response to organized crime, illicit economies and violent criminal syndicates, he added.
Identifying 140 high-crime police stations as priority sites for implementation of the reset agenda, Cachalia said “these stations will become the first implementation sites of the reset agenda, receiving targeted operational support, enhanced oversight, improved resource allocation, infrastructure upgrades and rigorous performance monitoring.” (Namiba Daily / Xinhua)
