722 Senior Generals Cost R3.6bn while Cape Flats Patrols Run at 40% Capacity

• A chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, revealed that 722 SAPS generals and brigadiers earn an average of R4.99 million each per year
• Cameron raised serious concerns about the bloated senior structure, noting that nearly 400 of those officers are stationed at national head office rather than on the ground
• The revelations sparked fierce debate among South Africans questioning whether taxpayers are getting value for money from the police service

South Africa is spending R3.6 billion every year to pay 722 brigadiers and generals within the South African Police Service (SAPS), working out to roughly R4.99 million per senior officer annually.

Ian Cameron, chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, said the numbers pointed to a leadership structure that had grown far beyond what a functional police service should carry. To illustrate the disconnect between cost and delivery, Cameron compared SAPS to a luxury vehicle that performs like a broken-down car. He argued that frontline units were bearing the consequences of this top-heavy structure, with the Cape Town Flying Squad operating at roughly 40% vehicle capacity and officers in the Cape Flats confronting extortion gangs armed with AK-47s while carrying only old pistols.

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Where are the senior officers?

Of the 722 generals and brigadiers, Cameron noted that close to 400 are based at the national head office, with another 166 at provincial head offices. SAPS currently has one full general, National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, alongside 20 lieutenant generals, 123 major generals and 578 brigadiers.

Cameron also pointed to evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission showing that only five of 823 senior SAPS officers underwent lifestyle audits during the 2024/25 financial year. As a remedy, Cameron called for broad integrity and competency audits across the senior leadership, arguing that identifying who delivers real value was the starting point for any meaningful reform.

Check out the TikTok post with reactions below:

Mzansi say their tax is funding high salaries

South Africans reacting online were equally blunt, with many questioning the value they receive from the police and directing their frustration at the government.

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ȚĤÊ ƁÀĹƊ & ȚĤÊ ŔŐTŦẀÉÍĽÉŘ asked:

"Why are we paying tax?"

Spikkels wrote:

"How is that possible?"

User7686641962615 said:

"People who vote for them are suffering."

barny_2.5🇿🇦 added:

"And when you call the police you're lucky if they answer the phone."

Kawa King summed it up simply:

"One word, UNSUSTAINABLE!"

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Source: Briefly News