Drop the Green Paper - let's consult

The Institute for Security Studies criticizes the South African government's Green Paper on Policing for its lack of transparency and public participation, arguing that the closed process misses an opportunity to rebuild trust between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the public. The author advocates for a comprehensive, open consultative process similar to the one adopted by Kenya in 2009 to address systemic policing issues and public mistrust.

• The South African government's Green Paper on Policing is criticized for being developed by a small group of 'insiders' behind closed doors and rushed through limited public meetings, which the author describes as a 'closed process'. The document suggests this approach may be intended to fast-track legislation before the 2014 general elections.
• The Green Paper on Policing aims to review existing policies, formulate medium and long-term directions for the South African Police Service (SAPS), and address 'negative perceptions' regarding police brutality and the excessive use of force.
• The author identifies several deficiencies in the Green Paper, noting that it fails to address the 'militarisation of the police' mentioned in the National Development Plan (NDP), is weak on addressing police impunity and criminal conduct, and suggests a move toward a more centralised system that would curtail the powers of private security and metropolitan police.
• Kenya is presented as a successful model for policing reform following post-election violence in 2007. In May 2009, the Kenyan government established an 18-person National Task Force on Police Reforms that conducted a comprehensive 'road show' across eight provinces, collecting submissions from 103 individuals, 52 government entities, and 66 organisations.
• Public trust in the police is reported as low in both Kenya and South Africa. A July 2009 survey in Kenya indicated only 24 per cent of citizens had some or full trust in the police, while a 2011 survey in South Africa showed 'trust' and 'strong trust' at 41 per cent.

APA

Gastrow, P. (n.d.). Drop the Green Paper - let's consult. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/drop-the-green-paper-lets-consult

Chicago

Gastrow, Peter. Drop the Green Paper - let's consult. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/drop-the-green-paper-lets-consult.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Gastrow |first1=Peter |title=Drop the Green Paper - let's consult |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/drop-the-green-paper-lets-consult |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{gastrownddrop, author = {Gastrow, Peter}, title = {{Drop the Green Paper - let's consult}}, publisher = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/drop-the-green-paper-lets-consult}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }