The South African Minister of Police is paid on the national Cabinet minister remuneration scale rather than a separate police salary scale. The latest official determination sets a Minister’s total remuneration package at R2,792,155 a year, equivalent to about R232,680 a month when divided by 12. As of October 2026, Professor Firoz Cachalia is serving as Acting Minister of Police, while Senzo Mchunu remains on special leave. Recent parliamentary disclosures confirm that Cachalia receives the full ministerial remuneration package while acting in the position.
The Minister of Police is a political office-bearer responsible for executive oversight of policing in South Africa. The position should not be confused with the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service or with ordinary SAPS police ranks, which operate under completely different remuneration systems.
Key takeaways
- The current official Cabinet Minister remuneration package is R2,792,155 a year.
- This equals approximately R232,680 a month when annualised.
- A Deputy Minister currently receives R2,299,398 a year.
- The Minister of Police receives the same ministerial package as other national Cabinet ministers.
- Professor Firoz Cachalia is currently Acting Minister of Police. Parliament’s current minister list identifies the Police portfolio as acting.
- Cachalia’s remuneration totalled R3,024,834.58 between 1 August 2025 and 31 August 2026, according to a recent parliamentary disclosure.
- Senzo Mchunu remains the substantive Minister of Police but has been on special leave since July 2025.
What is the Minister of Police salary?
The current official annual remuneration package attached to the position of national Cabinet Minister is:
R2,792,155 per year
That works out to approximately:
R232,680 per month
or roughly:
R53,695 per week.
The official January 2026 determination states that ministers received a 3.8% adjustment with effect from 1 April 2025.
Because the Minister of Police is a Cabinet minister, the Police portfolio falls under this same ministerial remuneration category.
Minister of Police salary comparison
The latest national executive remuneration structure is:
| Position | Annual remuneration | Approx. monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy President | R3,284,911 | R273,743 |
| Minister of Police / Cabinet Minister | R2,792,155 | R232,680 |
| Deputy Minister | R2,299,398 | R191,617 |
The annual amounts are the officially determined remuneration packages. The monthly figures are simple annualised equivalents.
A Cabinet minister therefore receives approximately R492,757 more a year than a Deputy Minister.
Who is the current Minister of Police?
As of October 2026, Professor Firoz Cachalia is serving as Acting Minister of Police.
Parliament’s current list of ministers identifies:
Police (Acting): Prof Firoz Cachalia.
President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police with effect from 1 August 2025 after Senzo Mchunu was placed on special leave. Parliamentary records confirm the appointment date.
The Presidency was still referring to Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police at the SAPS National Commemoration Day on 6 September 2026, confirming that the acting arrangement remained in place at that point.
How much is Firoz Cachalia being paid?
A September 2026 parliamentary disclosure provides unusually clear information on this question.
Cachalia reported that his total remuneration package cost:
R3,024,834.58
for the period:
1 August 2025 to 31 August 2026.
That period covers 13 months.
The disclosure confirms that Cachalia has been receiving the full ministerial remuneration package while serving as Acting Minister of Police.
The current annual ministerial package itself is R2,792,155.
Is Senzo Mchunu still being paid?
Yes.
Senzo Mchunu was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 13 July 2025, but remained the substantive Minister of Police.
Recent parliamentary information disclosed that Mchunu received:
R3,162,529.90
in remuneration between:
14 July 2025 and 31 August 2026.
Combined with Cachalia’s acting-minister remuneration, the state spent:
R6,187,364.48
on the two office-bearers across the respective periods disclosed.
This is an unusual situation and should not be interpreted as meaning the Police Ministry normally has two ministers receiving the full ministerial package.
Why is the Acting Minister also paid?
The acting appointment is not simply an informal delegation of responsibilities.
President Ramaphosa formally appointed Professor Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police under section 98 of the Constitution, assigning him the powers and functions of the Minister of Police with effect from 1 August 2025.
Recent parliamentary disclosure confirms that this acting appointment has carried the full ministerial remuneration package.
Is the Minister of Police paid by SAPS?
The Minister of Police is not an ordinary SAPS employee.
The Minister is a national political office-bearer and member of the executive.
Ministerial remuneration is determined under the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act and the related presidential remuneration determination.
This is fundamentally different from the remuneration of:
- SAPS constables;
- sergeants;
- warrant officers;
- commissioned police officers;
- station commanders; or
- the National Commissioner.
Those employees and office-holders operate under different salary systems.
How is the Minister of Police salary package structured?
The R2.79 million figure represents a total remuneration package, not simply cash paid into the minister’s bank account each year.
The ministerial remuneration framework includes:
- a pensionable basic salary component;
- employer pension contributions; and
- a flexible remuneration component.
The basic salary component is defined as 60% of the total package under the remuneration determination.
Using the current R2,792,155 minister package, 60% equals approximately:
R1,675,293 per year
or around:
R139,608 per month
as the pensionable basic-salary component.
The balance forms part of the wider remuneration package.
For this reason, describing R232,680 as the Minister of Police’s monthly “take-home salary” would be misleading. It is the monthly equivalent of the gross total package.
Did the Minister of Police get a salary increase?
Yes.
The latest determination applies a 3.8% increase to ministerial remuneration.
The current package is:
R2,792,155 a year
The previous ministerial package was approximately:
R2,689,937 a year
That represents an increase of approximately:
R102,218 per year
or about:
R8,518 per month
when annualised.
Does the Minister of Police earn more than the Police Commissioner?
These are completely different positions.
The Minister of Police is the political executive responsible for the Police portfolio.
The National Commissioner of SAPS is responsible for the operational command and management of the police service.
Their remuneration is therefore determined under different frameworks.
It is not safe to compare a ministerial package directly with a SAPS salary grade without examining the specific current National Commissioner remuneration structure.
Does the Minister of Police receive additional benefits?
Members of the national executive can receive official facilities and tools required to perform their duties.
These may include arrangements concerning:
- official vehicles;
- travel;
- accommodation;
- security;
- office support; and
- official communications.
These are governed through separate executive and government rules and should not simply be added to the R2.79 million package and described as additional cash salary.
The distinction matters because an official vehicle used to perform government duties is not the same thing as an equivalent amount of personal income.
Who determines the Minister of Police salary?
The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers considers the remuneration of political office-bearers and makes recommendations.
The President then determines applicable remuneration within the legal framework.
The latest determination published in January 2026 sets:
- Deputy President: R3,284,911
- Minister: R2,792,155
- Deputy Minister: R2,299,398
for the applicable remuneration period.
What jobseekers should know
Jobseekers should not use the Minister of Police salary as a benchmark for a career in policing.
Becoming Minister of Police is a political appointment, not a normal promotional step within SAPS.
Someone joining SAPS as a police trainee cannot progress through police ranks until they eventually become Minister of Police.
The Minister sits within the national executive, while career police officers progress through SAPS operational ranks.
If you are researching careers in policing, search separately for salaries such as:
- police trainee salary;
- SAPS constable salary;
- police sergeant salary;
- warrant officer salary;
- detective salary; or
- police captain salary.
FAQ: minister of police salary
How much does the Minister of Police earn in South Africa?
The current official Cabinet minister remuneration package is R2,792,155 a year.
How much does the Minister of Police earn per month?
R2,792,155 a year equals approximately R232,680 a month when divided by 12.
This is the monthly equivalent of the total remuneration package, not necessarily monthly take-home pay.
Who is the current Minister of Police?
As of October 2026, Professor Firoz Cachalia is Acting Minister of Police. Parliament’s current minister list identifies him as holding the Police portfolio in an acting capacity.
What happened to Senzo Mchunu?
President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Senzo Mchunu on special leave in July 2025 and appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police with effect from 1 August 2025.
How much has Firoz Cachalia earned as Acting Minister?
Cachalia disclosed remuneration of R3,024,834.58 from 1 August 2025 to 31 August 2026.
Is Senzo Mchunu still receiving a salary?
Yes. Recent parliamentary disclosure showed that Mchunu received approximately R3,162,529.90 between 14 July 2025 and 31 August 2026 while on special leave.
Why are two Police Ministers being paid?
Mchunu remains the substantive minister while on special leave, while Cachalia was formally appointed to perform the Minister of Police’s powers and functions in an acting capacity. Both have consequently received ministerial remuneration during the overlapping period.
Is the Minister of Police a police officer?
No. The Minister of Police is a political member of the national executive.
Sources
- South African Government Gazette: remuneration of Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers for 2025/2026 https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202601/53965gon7004.pdf
- Parliament of South Africa: current list of Ministers. https://www.parliament.gov.za/ministers
- South African Government: Police Ministry directory https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/ministers/police-ministry
- The Presidency: September 2026 SAPS National Commemoration Day confirming Firoz Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police https://presidency.gov.za/keynote-address-president-cyril-ramaphosa-south-african-police-service-saps-national-commemoration
- Parliament: appointment of Firoz Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police from 1 August 2025 https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Docs/atc/01ls62wggbjz7abyuuzjeycuqu32pdg67y.pdf
- Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers: 2025/2026 determination https://www.remcommission.gov.za/library/determinations/2026/presidents-determination-salaries-members-executive-parliament
- September 2026 parliamentary remuneration disclosure covering Firoz Cachalia and Senzo Mchunu https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-09-29-taxpayers-fork-out-r618m-for-mchunu-and-cachalias-pay/
