Note to editors: The written reply can be accessed here.
More than R5 million has been spent to date to fund the salaries of 11 police officers currently suspended on full pay, including a Lieutenant General who has been sitting at home since July 2022.
In response to a BOSA parliamentary question, the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, confirmed that as of 16 May 2025, the South African Police Service (SAPS) had 11 members on paid suspension. This includes:
- A Lieutenant General suspended for over 1,000 days, receiving R3.4 million to date
- A second Lieutenant General, suspended just this month, already costing over R1.1 million
- Several Sergeants and Constables suspended earlier this year with payments ranging from R35,000 to R56,000 each
The total cost to date: R5,020,731.11, all paid from the public purse.
This is an affront to every South African living in fear, waiting hours for the police to respond, only to be told there are no vehicles, no officers, and no capacity. Meanwhile, senior officers who should be leading the fight against crime are being paid millions to sit at home.
This revelation comes in the wake of BOSA’s other findings on the national detective shortage, where thousands of posts remain unfilled. While communities are under siege, SAPS continues to waste resources on suspended officials instead of bolstering frontline policing.
What this reveals is a deeper failure of leadership and accountability at the highest levels of SAPS. A culture that tolerates delayed disciplinary processes, shields incompetence, and rewards misconduct cannot deliver safety to the people of South Africa.
BOSA is calling for urgent disciplinary case finalisation for suspended officers, and transparency reports every quarter on SAPS suspensions and costs.
Media Enquiries:
Roger Solomons – BOSA Spokesperson – 072 299 3551