Crisis in police mental health demands urgent action

Putting the South African Police Service (Saps) in the spotlight, parliament’s police portfolio committee is citing urgent concerns about inadequacies in the budget and programmes to support the mental health of police officers.

This call for reform comes in the wake of the recent suicide of a member of the Saps antigang unit, troubling statistics and a broader crisis in which Saps’ officers face severe mental health challenges.

Criticism of mental wellness budget

Ian Cameron, chair of the police portfolio committee, has voiced strong criticism of the current mental wellness budget.

He emphasised that the problem extended beyond financial constraints.

“It is not just about the budget but about having proactive and tailored programmes that address the current environment,” he said.

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Cameron noted the alarming statistics indicating that the number of employee health and wellness (EHW) personnel was insufficient.

“The fact that there are only 621 EHW personnel servicing about 187 278 members within the Saps is worrying.

“There were 33 individual suicides for the 2019-20 financial year, 30 for the 2020-21 financial year and 39 in the 2021- 22 financial year and that has raised major concerns,” he said.

Call for more proactive approach

Richard Mamabolo, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson, criticised the current state of the EHW programmes and called for a more proactive approach, with regular visits to police stations, improved confidentiality and better communication on the available services.

“These programmes are often reactive and fail to address the ongoing needs of officers,” he said.

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“Confidentiality should be strengthened as most police officers feel their information might be compromised. The well-being of police officers is crucial for an effective police service. A force that feels under constant threat can be less willing to engage in challenging situations, which can damage community relations.”

Popcru revealed on 28 July, 2024 a police sergeant at the Westernburg precinct in Polokwane fatally shot a former officer and a female brigadier before ending his own life.

The union said this horrifying event underscored the urgent necessity for an overhaul of Saps’ approach to officer mental health.

Mamabolo emphasised that “the already understaffed Saps has, from 2017 to date, lost over 300 officers due to suicide and murder-suicide incidents”.

Crucial need for budget allocations for wellness programmes

Angelique Coetzee, a member of the SA Medical Association, said there was a critical need for substantial budget allocations for mental wellness programmes.

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“If police officers are well looked after mentally and physically they will be more productive,” she said. “But without adequate treatment, including sufficient psychologists and social workers, we risk seeing more officers involved in tragic incidents like this one.”

She stressed mental wellness support should go beyond providing psychological services. “We need to ensure that officers receive comprehensive care that addresses both their professional and personal challenges. Without this, we risk seeing more police officers either harming themselves or others, driven by untreated mental health issues.”

Cameron added they will be constantly interacting with all stakeholders including unions, Saps management and officers to ensure a change in strategy.

“There must be constant awareness building within the Saps to enable police officers to seek intervention when necessary.

“The first phase is to ensure there are adequate health practitioners to assist police officers with their mental health proactively.”

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