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This paper draws on select findings of a wider national research project that reviewed the interventions adopted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to fulfil its obligations vis-à-vis COVID-19 lockdown regulations. The authors formed part of a team that conducted 27 interviews in three provinces of the country. Respondents were police officials with COVID-related responsibilities at the provincial, district and/or station level. The research collected information relating to the utilisation of inter-sectoral structures, the crafting of operational strategies and techniques to police the lockdown; managing citizen compliance; and navigating COVID-related illness within the organisation.
For purposes of this presentation, we present two central and competing narratives that emerged from the research. According to the one narrative the police organisation invoked the organisational mindsets, systems and practices embedded in a centralised, para-military police institution. According to this narrative, effective command and control cascaded down a well-oiled organisational machine. ‘Good leadership’, ‘embedded authority’ and hands-on ‘oversight’ by a cadre of senior officers were readily forthcoming. Alongside this narrative emerged another in which respondents spoke of inter-sectoral frustrations; organisational strains; deficits in human and tangible resources; stress and fatigue; and the difficulties of doing both ‘normal’ and ‘pandemic’ policing in these circumstances. We reflect on how best to make sense of a ‘well-oiled machine’ coexisting with so many fractures and fissures.