In terms of Section 205(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the objectives of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are to prevent, combat and investigate crime, to maintain public order, to protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property, and to uphold and enforce the law. As an oversight body, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate [IPID] Act (No 1 of 2011) provides for independent and impartial investigation of identified criminal ofences allegedly committed by members of the SAPS. The investigations are specicfially geared to police misconduct and crimes regulated by this Act, guided by Section 28(1) (a-h) and (2).
For this reason, the misconduct and crimes committed by SAPS officials are informally incorporated into their operational methods, while executing their duties in the reformed police service of South Africa. However, the historical conversation of th