By Milidzi Ncube
Zim GBC News Reporter
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has been plunged into a storm of controversy following allegations made by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner.
In what appears to be a whistleblower exposé ,the upper echelons of law enforcement and political leadership have been implicated in widespread corruption have been
At the centre of this storm we find ,Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who Mkhwanazi accuses of directly interfering in police operations for political protection.
According to Mkhwanazi, Minister Mchunu ordered the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team late last year.
This is a special unit established in 2018 to investigate politically motivated assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The directive, he claims, was a deliberate attempt to shield high-profile individuals linked to a national criminal syndicate embedded within government and justice systems.
In response, Mchunu dismissed the claims as “wild allegations and malicious lies,” however the gun is already smoking and damage has already been done.
A Criminal Web Within the State
A respected investigative platform called Daily Maverick reported that Mkhwanazi’s statement amounts to a serious declaration that a high-level criminal syndicate is operating with impunity across:
• The South African Police Service (SAPS)
• The Police Ministry
• Parliament
• The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
• The Crime Intelligence Division
• Even elements within the judiciary and correctional services
Further more it does not that these claims come amid mounting concerns over the collapse of the NPA’s Investigating Directorate, originally set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019 to fight corruption.
The unit has recently seen key resignations and stalled prosecutions, drawing criticism from both local and international observers.
*Criminal Infiltration: A Pattern Emerges
*
This is not the first time South Africa has been rocked by such allegations.In 2023, over 40 SAPS officers were arrested in connection with corruption linked to the illegal mining sector, known locally as “Zama Zamas.”
A 2022 Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime report found that South Africa ranks 19th globally in terms of criminal infiltration into public institutions.
In more dire circumstances we see the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran in 2021, who was exposing hospital procurement corruption, highlighting truly how deep and dangerous these networks run.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi’s latest claims deepen fears that South Africa’s criminal justice system is compromised at multiple levels, making it nearly impossible to root out crime from within.
Despite the gravity of his statements, sources within SAPS and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) have distanced themselves from Mkhwanazi. A senior government official referred to his statements as “irresponsible and reckless,” while others have questioned his motives and timing.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at a security briefing this week, acknowledged the gravity of the accusations, stating,
“What we are facing is a grave national security concern, and it must be treated with the seriousness it deserves.”
Whether this is acknowledged of Mkhwanazi’s claims or rather a measure to nullify himself from backlash is for personal analysis.
However , what we are certain of is that with over over 57 murders recorded per day and more than 9,000 rapes reported in the last quarter of 2024, public confidence in SAPS is rapidly eroding.
The recent Afrobarometer survey (2024) found that only 26% of South Africans trust the police, one of the lowest figures recorded since the end of apartheid.
What Comes Next?
Calls are growing for an independent judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the full extent of the alleged syndicate. Civil society groups such as Corruption Watch, OUTA, and Section27 have urged Parliament to intervene before the situation escalates into what some are calling a “mafia state.”
Meanwhile, the citizens of South Africa especially those in violent provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are left to grapple with a justice system teetering on the edge.
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