South Africans have low trust in their police. Here’s why
Public confidence and trust in the South African Police Force has dipped sharply in the last year, while showing a decline overall, and now sits at an all-time low according to the Human Sciences Research Council. The council’s Evaluation of Public Opinion Programme has been running since 1998 and shows a national decline of seven percentage points in 2021, with more than 20 points in the Western Cape. If left unchecked, this situation will continue to undermine police legitimacy in the country.