South African police drug trade ties exposed: Who is protecting the drug dealers?

South African police drug trade ties exposed: Who is protecting the drug dealers?

Paul S. Masumbe , Bulelani Thukuse & Brandy Hughes

Issue: Vol. 7 No.7 2026 Article 3 pp. 1789 – 1798
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2026773 Published online 10th August 2026

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ABSTRACT

Allegations linking members of the South African Police Service to the drug trade have triggered widespread public outrage. Evidence points to police protection, intelligence leaks, and selective enforcement that benefit drug syndicates. This paper critically examines claims of institutional complicity in organised drug trafficking. This study also raises the following relevant questions: (i) Who is shielding drug dealers from arrest? (ii) Why do officers linked to drug syndicates remain in service? (iii) Who obstructs investigations when accountability reaches senior ranks? Using a qualitative research method, the study used existing literature, statutes, and other useful reports. It situates police corruption within broader patterns of state capture and institutional decay. It finds that structural weaknesses and judicial interference undermine enforcement. Persistent impunity strengthens organised crime and also erodes public trust and community safety. The paper argues that unchecked police corruption threatens constitutional governance. It concludes that without independent investigations, credible prosecutions, and deep institutional reform, the drug trade will continue to operate under institutional protection. This paper contributes to scholarship by exposing how police protection of drug syndicates undermines accountability, the rule of law, and public trust in South Africa.

Keywords: South African Police Service, Drug Trade, Police Corruption, Accountability, Organised Crime.

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Professor Paul S. Masumbe (LLD) is Associate Professor & Head of School of Law, Walter Sisulu University. He is an external examiner for master’s and doctoral degrees in law at various universities and a journal reviewer. His research interests include International Criminal Law, Human Rights Law, Labour Law with emphasis on dismissal, and selected areas of Private Law.

Bulelani Thukuse (LLB) (LLM candidate) is a Junior Lecturer in the School of Law, Faculty of Law, Humanities & Social Sciences, iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu, South Africa. He also serves as a reviewer for several journals. His research interests cut across International Criminal Law, Human Rights Law, and Labour Law, particularly issues relating to minimum wages as well as selected aspects of Private and Public Law.

Brandy Hughes (Educator) is a Master of Education student at iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu. She also serves as a tutor in the Faculty of Education at the Department of Continuing Professional Teacher Development at iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu. Her research interests focus on Inclusive Education, particularly Inclusive Pedagogy in South African Higher Education.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Masumbe, Paul S., Bulelani Thukuse, and Brandy Hughes. “South African Police Drug Trade Ties Exposed: Who is Protecting the Drug Dealers?” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.7 (2026): 1789 – 1798. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2026773