Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron highlighted on Tuesday that resilience building and general support care should be a central pillar of the work of the South African Police Service (Saps) to ensure the mental wellbeing of officers who are expected to fight crime effectively.

The committee expressed shock at the passing of Saps Anti-Gang Unit member Sergeant Raoul Murray, who took his own life last week, pointing out that his suicide highlighted the need for enhanced employee health and wellness initiatives within the Saps.

Cameron said wellness initiatives would assist officers in coping more effectively with the challenges in their operational environment.

“In the context of the high crime rate, especially violent crimes, Saps members are faced with gruesome scenes that are bound to have a negative impact on their mental health,” he emphasised.

Cameron noted that with high crime statistics, it was a moral requirement that officers were broadly capacitated to effectively deal with crime.

He highlighted that without the adequate psycho-social support, police would be exposed to unmitigated mental stress that could lead to suicide, saying this must be urgently addressed.

The committee was informed by the Saps management that 33 suicides occurred within the police 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 committee emphasised during the 2024/25 budget process that the “continued disregard of this important element” had a direct impact on the morale and effectiveness of Saps members and their ability to fight crime.

Cameron noted that Murray’s death came directly after the Portfolio Committee on Police emphasised its concerns about the lack of adequate employee health and wellness interventions for Saps members.

The committee was briefed by the Saps senior management that the entire police structure has only 621 employed health and wellness employees, servicing about 187 278 personnel.

While the chairperson acknowledged that the Saps had partnerships with non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and health professionals linked to POLMED and GEMS medical aid schemes, the committee urged Saps management to consider strengthening internal employee health and wellness programmes to ensure that the wellbeing of members was prioritised.