DNA backlog in South Africa has a waiting period of over 2 years

The South African Police Service (SAPS) have confirmed a serious backlog of DNA evidence processed by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

The revelations come after a whistleblower alleged that the FSL’s backlog exceeded 50,000 crime scene samples and 250,000 reference indexes.

These allegations prompted questions asked to the acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, about the FSL’s operations.

Cachalia said the FSL currently has nearly 300,000 DNA samples, with 228,000 currently over the accepted processing timeline of 90 days.

Within the backlog, roughly 194,339 samples are reference indexes, while 33,678 are crime scene indexes.

Reference indexes are DNA samples from known sources and are not as vital for building criminal cases.

Nearly 63,000 samples related to rape, murder, and sexual cases have been waiting over 90 days to be processed and analysed.

Of these samples, approximately 32,000 are crime scene indexes, which are considered crucial for convictions.

Without DNA evidence, prosecutors cannot build reliable cases, potentially leading to criminals avoiding jail time.

The backlog also severely delays trials and convictions, leaving many victims waiting for closure and potential criminals free as they await court dates.

While the confirmed backlogs are not as long as alleged by whistleblowers, they remain a serious concern.

Cachalia also revealed the average age of DNA samples awaiting analysis, which far exceeded the self-imposed 90-day window.

He said DNA samples awaiting processing are, on average, 800 days old, with the oldest sample awaiting processing for 1,273 days.

The acting Minister said the largest delay was due to administrative errors made by investigating officers that had to be corrected before the sample could be analysed.

He said the FSL operates on a first-in, first-out basis, meaning these administrative delays could cause a knock-on effect on other DNA samples.

Something has to change

In the 2026 financial year, the FSL analysed over 88,000 DNA samples, producing 25,000 forensic reports.

In the new year, nearly 5,000 forensic reports have been produced, keeping the FSL roughly on track with their previous performance.

Cachalia said continuous audits are conducted in the laboratory to ensure processing is carried out efficiently and accurately.

Despite these audits, the laboratory has not announced any plans to address the backlog specifically.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) commented on the FSL’s performance and said its capacity to analyse samples must be increased.

The party said a partnership between SAPS and university laboratories could help address the current backlog.

“South Africa cannot continue relying only on a forensic pipeline that is unable to keep pace with demand,” it said.

“SAPS must urgently assess partnerships with suitably equipped and accredited universities.”

The DA also raised concerns that the FSL might only analyse one DNA sample per case, even though several exhibits might have been collected.

This practice could jeopardise investigations, leaving prosecutors with potentially weaker or insufficient cases.

“In serious cases, an unprocessed DNA sample may be the difference between identifying a dangerous offender and allowing that offender to remain free,” the DA said.

Previously, whistleblowers noted that FSL analysts were not receiving proper medical surveillance.

This surveillance is done to ensure that lab workers are not exposed to hazardous materials or dangerous environments.

It is meant to be conducted every six months, but insiders alleged it had not been conducted for two years.

These allegations were not addressed by the Police Minister, who focused on clarifying the DNA backlogs within the FSL.