The police paid at least R600 million in civil claims during the previous financial year.

Making this revelation, National Police Commissioner Gen. Fannie Masemola also sought to clarify 4,000 claims for alleged unlawful arrests and the reported R2 billion in potential payouts for the 2023/24 financial year.

The police’s legal division is thoroughly interrogating the merits of each case, he said, and no payouts have been made to these litigants yet. “Each case is treated on merits, which will determine if the police need to settle or defend the matter.”

He emphasised not all claims are automatically paid out as they undergo a rigorous legal process, adding that 4,000 alleged unlawful arrests are a mere fraction of the more than 850,000 arrests police officers made in the past financial year.

“It’s not to say we have paid them. We haven’t paid them; they are still going to be litigated, and we might even pay very little of that.”

He added at least R600 million paid out in the last financial year is a significant amount, but it’s “not unusual” given the nature of police work, which often involves interactions with the public that may lead to claims.

The service police implemented measures to down-manage civil claims. He mentioned the inspectorate, visible policing, operations, and detective divisions are continuously conducting compliance inspections at police stations and service points, alongside providing training and raising awareness on how to prevent and reduce civil claims.

Several measures have been implemented to ensure compliance with arrest and detention directives, he said, including policies to reduce civil claims.

Meanwhile, in March 2024, OFM News reported the Free State Health Department was embroiled in a financial predicament after reports that it was on track to spend at least R5 billion on litigation cases for 2023. The then Health MEC Mathabo Leeto shed light on the situation.

‘We’re in about R5 billion litigation debt’

“Medico-legal claims are a challenge we face because doctors are human beings – now and then they commit mistakes that result in litigation. That’s the main challenge we face as a department because last time I received information, I think we were in about R5 billion litigation debt,” she said.

Leeto added her department is actively working to equip its medical professionals with enhanced skills and resources. She also noted the importance of fortifying the department's legal arm to navigate the complexities of litigation effectively.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg