President Cyril Ramaphosa has enacted a law granting the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) the authority to probe serious crimes involving police officers and municipal police members, regardless of whether they are on or off duty.
In a statement on Wednesday, Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the Presidency, noted that the new law enables IPID to investigate any fatalities resulting from the actions of members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) or municipal police services.
Magwenya stated, “IPID now has the authority to investigate cases of rape involving members of the SAPS or municipal police services, whether they were on or off duty.”
He also mentioned that the new Act includes provisions for pre-employment security screening investigations to be carried out by the directorate.
According to Magwenya, the law strengthens IPID’s institutional and operational independence, ensuring that the directorate operates independently, impartially, and without bias or favoritism.
Magwenya explained that the revised law implements a previous Constitutional Court ruling from the McBride v Minister of Police case, as well as another decision that invalidated sections of the IPID Act allowing the Minister of Police to impose disciplinary actions on the executive director of IPID without parliamentary oversight.
He further noted that the updated legislation revises the procedures for appointing the IPID executive director and expands their duties regarding the referral of recommendations on disciplinary issues.
