Workshop Report

This report documents a national workshop held on 16 and 17 September 2010 in Durban, jointly hosted by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The workshop aimed to explore how the newly established Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) should interpret and engage with its mandate to address police corruption, specifically focusing on the distinction between individual and systemic corruption.

• The IPID Bill reorganises and strengthens the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), renaming it the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). While a memorandum suggested the 'thrust' of the work would be addressing systemic problems, the enacted Bill does not make the investigation of systemic corruption obligatory.
• The IPID's mandatory investigative scope includes deaths in police custody, deaths resulting from police actions, official firearm discharges, rape by police officers (on or off duty), torture or assault during duty, and corruption matters initiated by the Executive Director, the Minister, an MEC, the Secretary, or via public complaint.
• Research suggests a 'rotten barrel' metaphor is more accurate for police corruption than 'rotten apples', implying that dysfunctions within the police organisation and the overall policing environment systemically contribute to corruption.
• Corruption is observed as part of everyday police practice, often driven by organisational culture and the discretionary nature of policing. Examples include officers overlooking minor transgressions for 'good attitude' or using torture as a 'short cut' to obtain information.
• Migration policing in South Africa is identified as a high-risk area for corruption. In the Lindela Detention Centre, 1 in 7 detainees report friends stopped deportations via bribes, and 1 in 3 observed interactions in high-density migrant areas involve bribe solicitation.
• A proposed paradigm shift for the IPID involves moving from a 'deterrence model' (case-by-case punishment) to an 'opportunity-focused model' that uses research to identify and change the conditions and practices that allow corruption to occur.
• The ICD's Anti-Corruption Command (ACC), founded in 2005, faced significant limitations due to a small staff of four and a limited budget, resulting in only 22 convictions from 600 complaints over five years.
• The Durban Metropolitan Police Service (DMPS) reports that corruption is exacerbated by the environment and the quality of recruits, noting that 300 skills development posts recently attracted 25,000 applications, suggesting police agencies may become 'dumping zones' for the unemployable.
• The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) emphasizes a balanced approach that combines criminal and disciplinary action with systemic changes to prevent recurrence, noting that systemic corruption always involves collusion, making it harder to detect.
• The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Anti-Corruption Unit is mandated to investigate corruption claims against Hawks members and any SAPS member with the rank of colonel or above.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2011). Workshop Report. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/IPIDWorkshopReport.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Workshop Report. 2011. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/IPIDWorkshopReport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Workshop Report |date=2011 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/IPIDWorkshopReport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2011workshop, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Workshop Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2011}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/IPIDWorkshopReport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }