Conference Report

This conference report, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies, documents a two-day workshop held on September 30 and October 1, 2010, regarding the state and future of policing in South Africa. The event brought together government ministers, police leadership, academics, and civil society to discuss strategic priorities, the use of deadly force, the impact of restructuring, police corruption, and civilian oversight.

• The South African Police Service (SAPS) implemented a 'triple C approach' to improve service delivery, focusing on 'command and control', 'coordination' between police components, and improving internal and external 'communication'.
• The policing of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is cited as a success due to detailed planning, international cooperation via SARPCCO, and the use of 'concentric circles of security' and 'war rooms' for real-time command and control. The SAPS spent R665 million on equipment and R640 million on staff deployment for the event.
• There is significant debate regarding the use of deadly force under section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Discussions focused on the 'future danger' principle versus the 'Govender-Walters' principle, with concerns that broad latitude in lethal force could increase unjustified killings and community conflict.
• The SAPS has faced criticism for 'militarising' by reintroducing military ranks and titles. Critics argue this is a return to 'rule by threat' and ignores the democratic transition's goal of a civilian-style service, while proponents claim it improves discipline to fight violent crime.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2011). Conference Report. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Conference Report. 2011. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Conference Report |date=2011 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2011conference, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Conference Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2011}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }