Ramaphosa kicks the can down the road
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, a key political ally instrumental in Ramaphosa's rise to the presidency in 2017, amid allegations of collusion with criminal syndicates. This decision comes after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made bold accusations that Mchunu and Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya were linked to serious criminal networks and had interfered with sensitive police investigations.
President Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate these claims, which will be chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. Advocates Sesi Baloyi SC and Sandile Khumalo SC will also serve as commissioners. The commission is expected to submit interim reports within three and six months and deliver a final report to both the President and the National Assembly upon completion.
In the interim, Professor Firoz Cachalia, a constitutional law expert and former Gauteng MEC for Community Safety who currently chairs the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, will serve as the acting Minister of Police starting August 1.
"I have decided to put the Minister of Police Mr. Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence with immediate effect," Ramaphosa said. "The commission will investigate the role of current or former senior officials in certain institutions who may have aided or abetted the alleged criminal activity, failed to act on credible intelligence or internal warnings, or benefited financially or politically from a syndicate's operations."
The allegations, made public during a press briefing last Sunday, came from Mkhwanazi, who has become one of the country's most prominent public figures. He claimed that Mchunu and Sibiya disbanded a critical crime unit investigating politically motivated killings in KwaZulu-Natal after uncovering links to crime syndicates. Mkhwanazi further alleged that politicians, law enforcement officers, metro police, correctional services personnel, prosecutors, and members of the judiciary in the province were compromised and controlled by drug cartels and business interests.
President Ramaphosa stated that the inquiry will include agencies such as the National Prosecuting Authority and the State Security Agency, reflecting the serious nature of the allegations and the wide-ranging scope of the investigation.
However, Ramaphosa's decision to place Mchunu on leave rather than dismiss him outright drew criticism from most opposition parties, who called for immediate removal rather than a temporary suspension. The unfolding situation remains a significant test for Ramaphosa's administration as it grapples with deep-seated issues of corruption and criminal infiltration within state institutions.
