The police and policing system in South Africa: The law and lessons for Nigeria

Abstract

The sociological theory of law identifies human society as one characterised by conflicting and contradictory interests. These interests  must have to be ironed out for peaceful, progressive and sustainable social development to take place in such a society. In order for  effective harmanisation of human interests to be possible, states have adopted the police as a branch of the executive to police societies  for social equilibrium to be attained, bearing in mind that conflicts are imperative part of society. Police is therefore a universal  institution. However, the degree of efficiency in the police varies significantly from one society to another. In this paper, the researcher  employed doctrinal legal research methodology to, inter alia, x-ray the police and law enforcement in South Africa with a view to  ascertaining whether policing in South Africa unfolds any lessons for Nigeria. It was found that the two jurisdictions have similar history  in police origin, structure and organisation. That Nigeria has some lessons to learn from the system of policing in South Africa. We  recommended, among other things, upward review of qualification for enlistment, salary, welfare, rigorous training, effective supervision,  increased oversight checks by the National Assembly, community policing, etc, as measures that could reposition the  Nigerian police for optimum results.