Central SA
Alarms raised over 29 police suicides in Free State─── ZENANDE MPAME 15:10 Thu, 28 Aug 2025
The DA has raised alarm over the news that 29 police officers in the Free State have taken their own lives since 2021.
The MEC for community safety, roads and transport revealed this in response to questions regarding the number of police officers in the province who have died by suicide over the past four years.
The most commonly reported methods included the use of a service pistol, hanging, overdose, and strangulation. The affected members held various ranks, ranging from constables, sergeants, warrant officers and captains to brigadiers.
“Oversight visits to police stations and interactions with individual members of the SAPS indicate that they are working under very stressful conditions,” said Free State DA community safety spokesperson Roy Jankielsohn.
Officers are expected to deliver results despite working with severely inadequate resources, including shortages of vehicles, computers, printers, and other essential equipment. “They face stressful conditions, such as a lack of trauma management and early retirement packages for those working in the most stressful environments.”
Often, they operate in dilapidated buildings that undermine professionalism. They are also frequently subjected to bullying and victimization, and a complete lack of empathy from senior management, he said.
The lack of sufficient employee health and wellness programs for police officers was emphasised by the parliament’s portfolio committee on police at the beginning of the month.
Police senior management informed the committee that there are only 621 health and wellness employees working across the whole police structure, providing services to roughly 187,278 SAPS personnel.
The committee was also informed that 33 suicides occurred within the police service in the 2019/20 financial year, 30 in the 2020/21 financial year, and 39 in the 2021/22 financial year. Furthermore, 38 homicide–suicide incidents occurred from 2019 to 2022.
“The police portfolio committee is utterly worried about the way in which it seems mental health amongst police service members is deteriorating,” said portfolio committee chairperson Ian Cameron.
“We are especially concerned, as we have noted the decline in the very limited budget concerning the mental wellness of SAPS officers, and we need to consider it in a very serious and urgent light.”
