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South Africa has officially enacted two significant pieces of legislation that could reshape the landscape of both law enforcement oversight and language access across the country. On 1 September 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed proclamations bringing into effect the 2024 Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Amendment Act – with the exception of five sections – and the long-delayed 2014 South African Language Practitioners’ Council Act.
These developments come at a time of increasing scrutiny on the country’s police services, amid ongoing allegations of corruption and political interference within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Strengthening Oversight of the Police
The most prominent of the two laws, the 2024 IPID Amendment Act, directly addresses critical concerns raised by a 2016 Constitutional Court ruling in the McBride judgment. That ruling emphasised the importance of ensuring the IPID’s institutional and operational independence, particularly in its role as a watchdog over SAPS and municipal police services.
This new legislation strengthens the IPID’s legal standing and investigative authority. Among its key provisions, the Act now mandates the IPID to investigate all allegations of rape involving members of SAPS or municipal police – regardless of whether the officers were on duty at the time. Additionally, any death resulting from police action, on or off duty, also falls within the IPID’s purview.
The law builds on reforms initiated in the 2019 Amendment Act, which addressed parliamentary oversight and the role of the Police Minister in appointing or removing the IPID Executive Director. The 2024 law takes these reforms further, aiming to fully implement the Constitutional Court’s directives and limit political interference.
These amendments come during a volatile period for the SAPS. In July, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made explosive claims that a criminal syndicate has infiltrated South Africa’s policing and intelligence structures. His allegations implicated Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, whom he accused of interfering in investigations and attempting to disband the Police Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal.
In response, President Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on special leave and announced the launch of a commission of inquiry into police corruption. The inquiry is to be headed by retired Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. However, the commission’s start date has already been delayed due to logistical issues, including delays in procuring infrastructure required for its operations.
In the interim, Professor Firoz Cachalia has been appointed Acting Police Minister.
A New Era for Language Policy
Alongside the policing reforms, the 2014 South African Language Practitioners’ Council Act has finally been put into effect, more than a decade after it was initially passed. The Act formally establishes the South African Language Practitioners’ Council as a juristic entity and regulatory body tasked with overseeing the country’s language professionals.
The Council is now mandated to:
- Regulate the language practice profession,
- Oversee accreditation and registration processes for language practitioners,
- Create codes of conduct, and
- Monitor compliance within the sector.
The move aligns with the 2013 National Language Policy Framework, which aims to support South Africa’s constitutional obligations to promote multilingualism and equitable access to services in all official languages.
According to the SA Legal Academy Watch, the implementation of this Act could play a vital role in improving access to education, public information, and government programmes, especially for communities whose first language is not English.
Critics, however, have questioned why it took over 11 years to operationalise the legislation. The delay has highlighted longstanding issues of implementation within various arms of government, especially in areas related to language and cultural equity.
Conclusion
The implementation of these two laws marks a turning point in South Africa’s democratic journey. The IPID Amendment Act strengthens accountability mechanisms within law enforcement, while the Language Practitioners’ Council Act seeks to level the playing field in terms of language access.
While these laws represent significant progress on paper, their effectiveness will depend on consistent enforcement, adequate resourcing, and political will. For a country grappling with both institutional distrust and linguistic diversity, these developments offer a chance to rebuild public confidence – if followed through with real action.