IPID secures 15 criminal convictions in first quarter of 2025/26 financial year

JOHANNESBURG - The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has secured 15 criminal convictions in the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.

The convictions were for serious offences, including rape by police officers, murder, and assault and torture. 

During a briefing to the portfolio committee of police in Parliament, IPID's acting executive director, Hlenani Buila, stated that the sentences for these convictions ranged from fines or a few months' imprisonment for assault, to 8 to 25 years for rape by police officers and life sentences for murder.

IPID spokesperson, Lizzy Suping, said that while the number of convictions was a positive sign, the report also showed a slight decrease in overall case intake compared to the same period last year.

Most cases were registered in the four "hotspot" provinces:

- Western Cape with 213

- Gauteng with 177

- KwaZulu-Natal with 161

- Eastern Cape with 138

The province with the fewest cases was the North West, with 73.

Suping also noted that the directorate recorded an increase in the number of rape cases filed against police officers. 

"Twenty-two cases were registered in the first quarter of the last financial year, while 27 were registered in the first quarter of this current financial year. Gauteng continues to lead on rape cases with five recorded in the first quarter."