World Bank expert proposes special vetting of South African police
In Pretoria, South Africa, World Bank senior specialist Laura Pop proposed a one-off extraordinary integrity vetting of employees of the South African Police Service (SAPS). At hearings of the Madlanga Commission on September 16, 2026, she said such a procedure could help address integrity breaches, restore the institution’s integrity and rebuild public trust.
As Daily Maverick reports, Pop noted that for many countries, rapidly and comprehensively cleansing an institution affected by corruption solely through regular disciplinary and criminal procedures is unrealistic. She has 17 years of anti-corruption experience in more than 20 countries and is part of a joint World Bank and UN Office on Drugs and Crime initiative on the recovery of stolen assets.
Who is proposed for vetting
Under the expert’s proposal, the vetting would be selective rather than apply to all police officers. It would primarily concern leadership, officials who control financial resources, and employees in positions with a high risk of corruption or interference.
The latter group includes those empowered to initiate, stop, suspend or transfer criminal cases. The assessment would also cover officials appointed, promoted or transferred to such positions during the procedure. Other employees, under Pop’s concept, would remain subject to existing disciplinary mechanisms.
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The vetting could include an analysis of financial integrity, associations and conflicts of interest, as well as previous conduct. In particular, it was proposed to compare assets and expenditure with an official’s lawful income, including indirectly owned assets. Links to organized crime, interference in investigations, protection of criminal groups or misuse of intelligence information could be examined.
Procedural safeguards
Pop stressed that a previous review of financial declarations or security clearance should not shield an official from a new assessment. At the same time, such a procedure should not replace ordinary accountability mechanisms: in the long term, she believes stronger financial checks, appointment procedures and independent oversight are needed.
Matthew Chaskalson, the commission’s evidence leader, stressed that the extraordinary vetting must comply with South Africa’s administrative justice standards. Officials must know the substance of the allegations, have access to the evidence, an opportunity to respond to it, and receive reasons for the decision. The criteria must be clear, defined in advance and applied proportionately.
According to Pop, the assessment body should first establish a specific material inconsistency or unexplained discrepancy in financial data. Only then could an official be required to provide an explanation. She agreed that minor discrepancies may not require a response, while substantial ones should trigger further scrutiny.
