SAPS Border Control Units: An evaluation of the new detached duties

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates a new six-month detached duty system for the South African Police Service (SAPS) Border Police, implemented in July 2000 to address personnel shortages and cross-border crime. The evaluation, based on surveys and field trips to northern KwaZulu-Natal, finds the six-month duration more effective than previous shorter rotations, though it identifies significant gaps in training, equipment, and the integration of detached members with permanent staff.

• The new detached duties system replaced a two to three month rotation that failed to address cross-border crime because officers were rotated out just as they became trained. The new system involves voluntary, uninterrupted six-month contracts with a financial incentive of approximately R2000 per month, consisting of a R52 daily allowance and R1 per kilometre for private transport.
• There is a consensus among detached members that additional training is necessary before deployment. While 68% of respondents in the first evaluation felt extra training was required, 100% of respondents in the second evaluation agreed. Specific needs include computer training, search procedures, and how to complete police dockets and paperwork.
• The six-month duration is considered ideal by 68% of respondents. This timeframe is credited with preventing corruption because officers do not have enough time to establish local networks or relationships with permanent staff and communities that could make the system penetrable.
• While most officers reported positive interactions with permanent staff initially, impressions deteriorated by the second evaluation. Four of 21 respondents in the second survey had a 'bad' or 'very bad' impression of permanent police, and some detached members viewed training advice from permanent staff as 'patronising and condescending'.
• Detached members identified significant operational limitations, primarily a lack of equipment and infrastructure for searches, such as metal detectors and radios. They also noted a lack of personnel, poor vehicle conditions, and the absence of dog handlers at border posts.
• The effectiveness of the program in terms of arrests is described as modest. In the second evaluation, 15 respondents estimated a total of 286 arrests over six months, averaging three arrests per member per month. The most common illegal activities detected were the recovery of stolen motor vehicles and fraudulent vehicle registration.

APA

Hennop, E., & Jefferson, C. (2002). SAPS Border Control Units: An evaluation of the new detached duties. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper55.pdf

Chicago

Hennop, Ettienne, and Clare Jefferson. SAPS Border Control Units: An evaluation of the new detached duties. Institute for Security Studies, 2002. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper55.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hennop |first1=Ettienne |last2=Jefferson |first2=Clare |title=SAPS Border Control Units: An evaluation of the new detached duties |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=January 2002 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper55.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hennop2002saps, author = {Hennop, Ettienne and Jefferson, Clare}, title = {{SAPS Border Control Units: An evaluation of the new detached duties}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2002}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper55.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }