Wits researchers engage with SA Police Service

29 September 2025 - Wits University

Wits researchers host Research Governance Section of the South African Police Service (SAPS) on standards to conduct research in SAPS.

The SAPS Research Governance Section is responsible for managing compliance with research quality standards, overseeing research ethics, and collaborating with universities to support and facilitate research applications to the SAPS.

The meeting between Wits and the SAPS on 27 August was part of a series of engagement sessions between SAPS and higher education institutions to refine and enhance the process for research applications to the SAPS.

Chaired by Eleni Flack-Davison, Head of the Office of Research Integrity at Wits, the engagement was the first of what is hoped to be a longer-term relationship between Wits and the SAPS in the ethical processes and clearance for academic staff and students conducting research with SAPS.

The session also provided opportunity to discuss the dissemination of research, and to begin conversations around potential synergies between academic research at Wits and the SAPS Research Agenda.

Col (Dr) Lindie Smit provided an overview of the Research Governance function in the SAPS; organisational, operational, and specialised and tactical research projects within the service; and insight into the processes and standards for researchers from inside and outside the SAPS. Col Smit was joined by colleagues from the National Research Governance Section, Maj Gen Matlou, Component Head: Risk and Integrity as well as Col Peters from Provincial Research Governance.

Chair of the Wits Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) (Medical), Professor Paul Ruff, and Chair of the Wits HREC (Non-Medical), Professor Jennifer Watermeyer, gave presentations on Wits’ research ethics approval processes for academic staff and students.

Inputs were also delivered by Witsies Professor Victor de Andrade, Assistant-Dean Research: Humanities on research ethics, Professor Julia Hornberger (Department of Anthropology) on immersive research, Professor Brett Bowman (Director: Research Development) on the use of SAPS data, and Professor Heidi Brooks (Wits School of Governance) on further collaboration between academic researchers and the SAPS.

The engagement provided an excellent opportunity for Wits researchers and supervisors to gain insight into the processes and standards for approvals to conduct research in the SAPS, and for the alignment of research clearance processes between Wits and the SAPS. 

Brooks says, “We hope that this is the beginning of a longer-term engagement between Wits University and the South Africa Police Service on both research processes and applications, and on areas of mutual research interest for Wits researchers and the SAPS.”