This is a list of agencies in law enforcement in South Africa, both past and present. It does not include the military police branches of the defence forces.

Pre-Union (1652–1910)

Cape of Good Hope

Fiscal's law enforcement officers (1652–1840) – Responsible for law and order in Cape Town.Resolution of the Council of Policy (5 December 1652). Night Watch (1686–1840) — Responsible for patrolling the streets of Cape Town at night.Resolutions of the Council of Policy (3 July 1686 and 11 September 1686). Magistrates' law enforcement officers (1686–1848) – Responsible forenforcement in the rural districts. Each district's magistrate had his own "officers of justice". Police Office (1825–40) – Established in 1825 to co-ordinate the fiscal's law enforcement officers and the Night Watch in Cape Town.Ordinance 12 of 1825 (Cape of Good Hope). It was replaced by the Town Police in 1840. Cape Peninsula Urban Police (1840–1913) – Established in 1840 as the Town Police,Ordinance 2 of 1840 (Cape of Good Hope). and modelled on the London Metropolitan Police.Hattersley, A.F. (1960). The First South African Detectives – It replaced the Police Office. The force was renamed 'City Police' when it was placed under the control of the Cape Police in 1882. Together with the rural police of the neighbouring districts, it became the 'Cape Peninsula Urban Police District' in 1904. The force was taken over by the South African Police in 1913. Rural Police (1848–1913) – Replaced the magistrates' law enforcement officers. Each district had a chief constable and a small police force, under overall direction of the resident magistrate.Ordinance 25 of 1847 (Cape of Good Hope). Frontier Force of Rural Police (1850-?) Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette 2318 (28 November 1850) : Proclamation dated 26 November 1850. Armed and Mounted Police (1853–55) Frontier Armed and Mounted Police (1855–78) Act 3 of 1855 (Cape of Good Hope). Dock and Harbour Police (1860–1913) — Established in 1860 as the 'Water Police', to maintain law and order in Table Bay harbour.Cape Town Water Police Act 1860 (Cape of Good Hope). It was renamed 'Dock and Harbour Police' in 1882, and incorporated into Cape Police District 3 in 1901. Northern Border Police (1868–73 and 1879–84) — Responsible for law and order in the districts along the Orange River, which formed the colony's northern border at that time. Cape Government Railways Police — The Cape Government Railways employed law enforcement officials. Cape Mounted Police (1882–1913) — A para-military force established in 1882 as the 'Cape Police'.Police Regulation Act 1882 (Cape of Good Hope). It was renamed 'Cape Mounted Police' in 1904, and transferred to the Union Defence Forces in 1913. Detective Department (1882–1913) — Established to suppress diamond-smuggling on the Griqualand West diamond fields.

Natal

Borough police (1854–1936) Water Police Holt, H.P. (1913). The Mounted Police of Natal. Railways Police Natal Mounted Police (1874–94) Natal Police (1894–1913)

Orange Free State

Rydende Dienst Macht [Mounted Police Force] (1889–1902) South African Constabulary (1900–08) Orange Free State Police (1908–13) — A para-military force established by the colonial government in 1908 as the 'Orange River Colony Police' to replace the imperial South African Constabulary. It was renamed when the colony reverted to its former name in 1910, and was transferred to the Union Defence Forces in 1913.

South African Republic / Transvaal

Rydende Politie [Mounted Police] (1881–86) Rydende Artillerie en Politie Korps [Mounted Artillery and Police Corps] (1886–96) Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek Politie South African Republic Police (1896–1902) South African Constabulary (1900–08) Transvaal Town Police (1901–08) — Established by the British occupation authorities to maintain law and order in Pretoria and Johannesburg. It was superseded by the Transvaal Police in 1908. Transvaal Police (1908–13) — A para-military force established by the colonial government in 1908, to replace the imperial South African Constabulary and the Transvaal Town Police. It was transferred to the Union Defence Forces in 1913.

Griqualand West

Griqualand Constabulary (1872–74) Griqualand Mounted Police (1873–74) Griqualand West Police (1874–83) Border Police.

Zululand

Zululand Police (1883–98).

British Bechuanaland

Bechuanaland Mounted Police (1884–85) Bechuanaland Border Police (1885–95).

South Africa (1910-1994)

South African Police (1913–94) South African Railways Police Force (1916–86).

Homelands (1976-1994)

Transkei

Transkei Police (1976–94).

Bophuthatswana

Bophuthatswana Police (1977–94)

Venda

Venda National Force (1979–85) Venda Police (1985–94).

KwaZulu

KwaZulu Police (1980–94).

Ciskei

Ciskei Police (1981–94).

Gazankulu

Gazankulu Police (1982–94).

QwaQwa

QwaQwa Police (1983–94).

Lebowa

Lebowa Police (1984–95).

KaNgwane

KaNgwane Police (1986–94).

KwaNdebele

KwaNdebele Police (1987–94).

South Africa (1994- )

South African Police Service (1994- )South African Police Service Act 1995. Municipal/Metropolitan Police Service (1998- )South African Police Service Amendment Act 1998. Hawks ( Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation/SAPS) - 2009

References