Johannesburg – The South African Police Service (SAPS) has established two specialised units in Gauteng to tackle high-priority crime threats, including kidnapping, extortion, and political assassinations, as well as politically motivated killings of government officials.
Welcoming the move, the Ministry of Police, on Friday 6 March 2026, said: ‘’The formation of these units forms part of SAPS’ broader organised crime strategy, which will guide the policing response to increasingly complex and coordinated criminal activities.
“Through this strategy, the SAPS is progressively implementing a range of targeted measures and interventions to combat the various manifestations of organised crime.”
The first of these units is the replication of the Political Killings Task Team in Gauteng.
This specialised team will focus on the investigation of political assassinations as well as politically motivated killings of government officials.
The establishment of the unit follows the proven effectiveness of the Political Killings Task Team model in addressing complex and highly sensitive cases.
The Political Killings Task Team in Gauteng is adequately capacitated and comprises skilled members drawn from various disciplines within the SAPS. These members bring a wealth of expertise and vast investigative experience, ensuring that the unit is well equipped to deal with intricate and high-profile cases.
The second specialised unit will focus on crimes related to kidnapping, extortion, and offences targeting infrastructure projects.
These crimes have increasingly been linked to organised criminal networks that seek to undermine economic development and public safety.
“Both units are operational and are designed to function as intelligence-driven, specialised, team-orientated, multidisciplinary and prosecution-led structures,” stated the Ministry of Police.
“The establishment of these units demonstrates the SAPS’ commitment to strengthening its capacity to disrupt and dismantle organised criminal networks, while ensuring that perpetrators of serious crimes are brought to justice.”
