There is a shortfall of about 87 000 staff at South Africa’s police service.

SAPS Chief Financial Officer, Puleng Dimpane told the National Council of Provinces that nearly 106 000 actual staff were recorded for the 2021/22 financial year.

But this is a far cry from the 193,000-officer target to effectively deal with crime.

Police management has highlighted that interprovincial migration, particularly to Gauteng and the Western Cape, puts further strain on resources in these provinces.