Notice to Introduce - South African Police Service Amendment Bill (PMB) (Ms D James ActionSA)

The South African Police Service is currently governed by the South African Police Service Act. Like any law, it can be changed over time through an amendment bill introduced in Parliament. Any Member of Parliament (MP) has the right, under section 73(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, to introduce what is called a Private Member's Bill (PMB) — meaning a bill that comes from an individual MP rather than from a government department or Cabinet minister. This is the route Ms Dereleen James of ActionSA is using. The existing SAPS legislation sets out how the police service is structured, how it operates, and what powers and responsibilities it has. The fact that an amendment bill is being introduced suggests that the current law is seen by the MP as having gaps, weaknesses, or outdated provisions that need to be fixed or updated.

Because this bill proposes changes to the law governing the South African Police Service, it has the potential to affect a wide range of people and institutions.

Ordinary South African residents and citizens would be affected because any change to how SAPS is structured or how it operates directly impacts public safety, policing in communities, and how people interact with the police.

Members of the South African Police Service themselves — from constables on the ground to senior officers — could be affected depending on what specific changes the bill introduces to their powers, duties, or conditions of service.

Organisations, civil society groups, researchers, and any other interested parties are specifically invited by Parliament to submit their views, meaning Parliament recognises that many sectors of society have a stake in how the police are governed.

Parliament itself, specifically the National Assembly, is involved as the body that will consider and debate the bill once it is formally introduced.

At this stage, what has been published is a Notice of Intention to introduce the bill — not the full bill itself. This means the specific provisions and detailed changes that Ms James wants to make to the South African Police Service Act have not yet been set out in a publicly available draft law.

What we do know is that Ms Dereleen James, an MP from ActionSA, is using her constitutional right under section 73(2) of the Constitution to bring this bill to Parliament as a Private Member's Bill. An explanatory summary of the bill has been published in line with Rule 276(1)(c) of the Rules of the National Assembly (9th Edition), which is a procedural requirement that ensures the public gets at least a basic explanation of what is planned before the bill is formally introduced.

The public is now in a comment period, which runs from 23 October 2026 to 22 November 2026. During this time, any person, organisation, or institution can send written representations — meaning their opinions, concerns, or support — to the Speaker of the National Assembly. Submissions must be emailed to SAPSAB@parliament.gov.za and copied to actionsa@parliament.org.za. This step happens before the bill is debated in Parliament, giving the public a voice in shaping its final form.

Even though the full details of the proposed changes have not yet been released, this notice matters because it is the starting gun for a public process that could result in real changes to how South Africa's police service works. Policing touches every South African's daily life — from safety in townships and suburbs, to how crime is investigated, to how officers conduct themselves on duty.

The comment period is a genuine opportunity for ordinary people to influence legislation before it is locked in. If you have experiences with the police — good or bad — or if you represent a community, business, or organisation that has views on how SAPS should operate, this is your legal and democratic chance to put those views on record. Parliament is required to consider public submissions as part of the legislative process.

If the bill passes and the changes are significant, they could affect everything from police accountability and oversight, to how the service is managed, to the rights of both officers and the public. Missing the 22 November 2026 deadline means losing your chance to shape what those changes look like. Once the comment period closes and the bill moves through Parliament, public input at this early stage is no longer possible.