The good, the bad and the ugly: Leadership instability, governance failures and institutional resilience in the South African police service (1994–2025)

Since the transition to democracy in 1994, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has undergone extensive transformation while simultaneously confronting institutional instability, political interference, and persistent corruption allegations. A central and often controversial feature of this period has been the leadership tenure of National Police Commissioners. Apart from General George Fivaz, no National Commissioner has completed a full term of office. Instead, resignations, suspensions, removals, and criminal investigations have characterised the leadership landscape, contributing to widespread public perceptions that SAPS Commissioners are inherently corrupt. This article presents a conceptual and descriptive analysis of SAPS leadership from 1994 to 2025, drawing on publicly available reports, parliamentary proceedings, commissions of inquiry, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigations, Auditor-General reports, and scholarly literature. The study highlights three dimensions of SAPS leadership over three decades: the good, including achievements in transformation, community policing, and specialised operational capacities; the bad, encompassing policy inconsistencies, managerial weaknesses, and resource misalignment; and the ugly, featuring high-profile corruption scandals, political interference, Marikana, intelligence dysfunction, and the criminal conviction or removal of multiple Commissioners. Using governance and public administration frameworks, the article analyses structural conditions that have produced leadership instability, including the blurred political–administrative interface, cadre deployment, and weak oversight institutions. The article concludes that although SAPS has pockets of excellence and resilience, leadership instability has had a measurable and negative impact on organisational performance, public trust, and the integrity of policing. The study proposes actionable reforms to stabilise leadership, depoliticise appointments, and strengthen accountability systems.