On 22 July 2025, Ivor Chipkin, Executive Director and co-founder of the New South Institute, published an article in The Conversation Africa titled “South Africa’s police serve the ANC insiders, not the people: here’s how it happened”.

In this piece, Chipkin examines the evolution of the South African Police Service from a post-apartheid institution focused on civilian accountability, to one increasingly influenced by internal political struggles within the African National Congress (ANC). Drawing on more than a decade of research, he outlines how political appointments and structural shifts redirected police priorities away from crime prevention and toward political enforcement.

Chipkin argues that this politicisation has undermined the police’s legitimacy and effectiveness, contributing to rising crime and weakened institutional oversight. He calls for structural reforms, particularly in how senior police officials are appointed, as a necessary step toward restoring democratic policing.