Change story: Giving teeth to the watchdog

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) provided research and advice that led to the 2011 legislation establishing the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) in South Africa, replacing the under-resourced Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) to ensure more rigorous oversight of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

• The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) influenced the 2011 legislation that created the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to replace the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). This followed joint research that analyzed 573 criminal and disciplinary case dockets and interviews with senior officials, which revealed that the ICD was severely understaffed, faced mistrust from the South African Police Service (SAPS), and lacked the legal authority to compel police to comply with its recommendations.
• Established in 2012, IPID possesses greater independence and resources than its predecessor, including a budget increase of R36 million to hire more investigators. IPID is legally required to investigate police corruption, torture, rape by police or of persons in custody, and deaths resulting from police action or occurring in custody.
• IPID investigators have expanded legal powers to ensure police accountability, including the authority to execute warrants, make arrests, seize articles, and enter and search premises. The South African Police Service is required to provide full cooperation to these investigators.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2016). Change story: Giving teeth to the watchdog. https://issafrica.org/impact/change-story-giving-teeth-to-the-watchdog

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Change story: Giving teeth to the watchdog. 2016. https://issafrica.org/impact/change-story-giving-teeth-to-the-watchdog.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Change story: Giving teeth to the watchdog |date=12 August 2016 |url=https://issafrica.org/impact/change-story-giving-teeth-to-the-watchdog |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2016change, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Change story: Giving teeth to the watchdog}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.org/impact/change-story-giving-teeth-to-the-watchdog}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }