The South African Police Service (SAPS) has been thrust into crisis following explosive allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, raising serious concerns about the SAPS’s integrity and stability.

Mkhwanazi publicly accused Mchunu of colluding with organised crime, interfering in investigations, and shielding corrupt syndicates.

Mkhwanazi’s allegations include claims that Mchunu ordered the disbandment of a task team investigating political killings and authorised the withdrawal of more than 120 case files, allegedly protecting politicians and a controversial businessman linked to drug cartels.

In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in an address to the nation, placed Mchunu on immediate leave of absence on 13 July and announced a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate whether senior officials in law enforcement, intelligence, and judicial structures have been infiltrated by criminal networks.

Law Professor Firoz Cachalia has been appointed as acting Police Minister, signalling Ramaphosa’s commitment to swift action.

Parliament will also establish a separate ad hoc committee to investigate Mkhwanazi’s allegations.

After consideration of a legal opinion from the Parliamentary Legal Services, it was agreed that the format of an ad hoc committee, as provided for under Rule 253 of the National Assembly, is best suited for the matter at hand.

In a joint statement, Ian Cameron, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, and Xola Nqola, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, said: “The rationale for this option is that the scope of such a committee is specific and time-bound.”

Mkhwanazi’s allegations are the latest in a long history of the police’s integrity and claims of corruption being scrutinised.

There have been a slew of claims of collusion involving police, among them AGU detective Charles Kinnear speaking out before his death.

In 2022, police said they would investigate Western Cape High Court Judge Daniel Thulare’s statements about corrupt links between the SAPS and gangs in the province.

Former Deputy Commissioner Bonang Mgwenya was fired for alleged corruption, and Riah Phiyega was suspended for misconduct allegations.

Recently, police also denied speculation about the imminent arrest of National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola for allegedly authorising the irregular purchase of properties worth R120 million.

According to the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) recent report, “Social Attitudes Survey”, only 22% of South Africans expressed confidence in the police in 2022, with similarly low levels recorded in 2023 and 2024/25.

This marks the worst confidence ratings since data collection began in 1998.

After the emergence of the Mkhwanazi allegations, Cameron said the allegations point to a systematic weakening of the police to enable corruption and undermining of the rule of law.

“What is clear is that accountability is necessary and urgent….We cannot continue one more day with criminals masquerading as police officers.”

Cameron called for an extensive skills and lifestyle audit, starting with all senior management within the SAPS and the Crime Intelligence environment.

He said that he had written to the Speaker of the National Assembly for an urgent debate on the police’s integrity and the implications of the revelations for its credibility and standing in the fight against crime.

The committee also proposed an urgently appointed commission with a clear timeline to investigate the allegations, an independent body to undertake a vetting exercise on all senior SAPS officers, and a reconfiguration of the Crime Intelligence environment to ensure only fit and proper people are employed in that environment.

The suggestion of an integrity commission has been welcome, but many believe that current mechanisms already exist to tackle corruption and just need to be used to their fullest extent.

National Spokesperson for SAPS, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said they call on all people in South Africa to respect the president’s decision to appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate all allegations made.

“We have full faith and confidence in the mandate and work that the commission will undertake, and the National Commissioner has since pledged his full support to the process.

“The SAPS has internal mechanisms in place to detect corruption, and in the last five years, more than 2000 police officers have been dismissed for various offences. We have an anti-corruption unit and various other processes to root out corruption and ill-discipline.”

Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said corruption is an important and complex issue affecting the integrity of the South African Police Service and the broader criminal justice system.

“As POPCRU, we acknowledge the deep public concern about allegations surrounding senior figures within the SAPS, and we support any credible process that is aimed at upholding integrity, restoring public trust, and rooting out corruption — provided it is implemented transparently, without political manipulation, and with due process.

“The call for a commission of inquiry, lifestyle audits, and skills and vetting assessments are not new, and POPCRU has consistently called for such mechanisms — but within a framework that respects the dignity and rights of police officers,” Mamabolo said.

“We agree that systems of accountability must be robust, but they must also be fair, independently monitored, and not used selectively to settle internal or political scores.

“Our members — the majority of whom are dedicated and hardworking officers — are often the first to suffer the consequences of public mistrust. When sweeping generalisations are made about corruption within SAPS, it undermines the morale and dignity of thousands who serve with honour under extremely difficult conditions,” Mamabolo said.

“The integrity of SAPS must be protected, but we must be careful not to generalise or vilify the entire service based on the alleged conduct of a few. Integrity cannot be built on fear or scapegoating — it must be the product of ethical leadership, worker support, and institutional reform.”

He added that while Cameron’s proposals reflect legitimate concerns, they must be accompanied by an honest assessment of the broader systemic crises, such as chronic understaffing, inadequate training, lack of psychological and wellness support, and the erosion of internal disciplinary systems.

Crime and policing expert from Stellenbosch University, Dr Guy Lamb, said it’s a bit difficult to endorse or criticise Cameron’s suggestions, as there’s nothing substantially wrong with them.

“It’s more the kind of question around implementation. But I think one shouldn’t just be, making certain recommendations without understanding the kind of context, and doing an examination of what currently exists and trying to understand what is working, what’s not working.”

Lamb added that SAPS has an anti-corruption strategy, which it implements as indicated in its annual reports.

“Also, the new SAPS strategy 2025 to 2030 indicates that SAPS is prioritising fighting, combating corruption within the ranks of the SAPS and indicates that it will be pursuing many of the issues that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee is suggesting, such as lifestyle audits, vetting, and investigations.”

Lamb explained that addressing the issue of corruption in SAPS needs to be dynamic.

“You can, for example, vet police officers once off, but, you know, corruption is a growing problem. So you may vet a police officer at one particular point in time, and they may not be engaged in corrupt activities. But a year later, due to personal circumstances or bribery, they may engage in corruption.”

Lamb feels that there are many things that Parliament could be doing but isn’t.

“What would be really helpful is to get the police to come forward and to report on, what’s been working with the anti-corruption strategy, what’s not working, what are the challenges, what do they need resources for, where could they improve upon that, possibly also having kind of, you know, kind of public submissions on this particular issue, I think is really helpful.”

Lamb expressed his concern with the strength of the oversight committee, pointing to Mkhwanazi having already raised his concerns in a briefing to the committee on 5 March, and his concern that they didn’t do anything with that information.

“That’s sort of the question one needs to ask – that if the parliamentary committee had acted on these allegations, then we may have seen a different outcome?

“We may have ended up saving some money, not having a commission of inquiry, but that’s kind of difficult to say. Essentially, there were warning signs. Evidence was brought in. Evidence was presented before the parliamentary portfolio committee, and they didn’t seem to take any action on this.”

Lamb feels that questions do need to be asked about the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight when it comes to policing.

“I think there needs to kind of be some reflections on that as well. It’s good to see that they are taking a prominent role now, but there certainly was a missed opportunity back in March.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

Source link