South Africa’s police service is facing renewed scrutiny after parliamentary disclosures revealed that detectives stationed at some of the country’s highest-crime police stations received no digital forensics training over a nearly one-year period.
The findings have raised concerns about the ability of law enforcement to effectively investigate increasingly sophisticated cyber-enabled crimes, including financial fraud and digital theft.
The information was provided in a written parliamentary reply following questions submitted by Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Ian Cameron regarding staffing levels and training within South Africa’s top high-contact-crime police stations.
The response covered stations including Nyanga, Inanda, Delft, Khayelitsha, Hillbrow, Johannesburg Central, Mitchells Plain, Umlazi and Rustenburg, among others.
No digital forensics training provided
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), no active detectives at the designated “top 30 plus five” high-crime stations received digital forensics training between 1 April 2025 and 27 February 2026.
While some limited training took place in other specialist areas, SAPS confirmed that digital forensic capacity development was not delivered to detectives working in these high-pressure environments during the reporting period.
Only 15 detectives across the 35 stations were certified as competent in financial investigations as of late February 2026, highlighting a broader skills gap within the investigative division.
Democratic Alliance MP Lisa Schickerling said the lack of training was deeply concerning and suggested it reflected a systemic failure rather than an administrative oversight.
She warned that South Africa’s rapid rise in bank fraud and cyber-enabled crime requires investigators to have up-to-date technical skills, particularly when handling digital evidence from mobile devices.
Schickerling also raised concerns about the handling of seized electronic devices, noting that improper procedures could compromise evidence integrity.
For example, powering on a confiscated smartphone without appropriate safeguards such as a Faraday bag could alter metadata and render evidence inadmissible in court.
Resource shortages and operational risks
Beyond training gaps, the parliamentary reply also highlighted broader capacity constraints within SAPS detective services.
Across the top 35 high-crime stations, there are 3,496 funded detective posts against an approved requirement of 4,607, with only 2,480 positions currently filled.
This shortfall leaves a significant number of investigative roles vacant, placing additional strain on existing personnel.
SAPS further reported that 2,225 detectives were actively deployed during the reporting period, excluding those on leave, suspension, training or secondment.
Of these, 403 detectives had less than three years of investigative experience, raising additional concerns about institutional knowledge and case-handling capacity.
Stations such as Mitchells Plain, Johannesburg Central, Rustenburg, Hillbrow, Nyanga and Tembisa recorded some of the highest numbers of active detectives, while Randfontein had the lowest total at just 21.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia stated that SAPS cannot disclose full operational deployment figures, arguing that doing so could expose vulnerabilities and compromise operational security.
As South Africa continues to experience rising levels of cyber-enabled crime, pressure is expected to mount on authorities to close the training gap and strengthen digital investigative capacity across frontline policing units.
Source: Parliamentary Reply, South African Police Service (SAPS)