The fragile reputation of police in South Africa has seemingly taken a new hit as allegations against its police Minister Senzo Mchunu, has led to his immediate “leave of absence”; and Firoz Cachalia, a law professor appointed as interim police Minister. This announcement was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a public broadcast on Sunday as he added that a judicial commission was being set up specifically to prod the claims.
In the beginning of July, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi held a press conference, publicly accusing Mchunu of interference in investigations into political killings and corruptions within law enforcement agencies. In his live broadcast, President Ramaphosa noted that Mkhwanazi had accused the former minister of police of being involved in the “operation of a sophisticated criminal syndicate that has allegedly infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence structures in South Africa”.
Mkhwanazi’s allegations are founded from the seizure of case dockets of a South African Police Service task team that was formed in 2018 to focus on political killings. The work of the team led to the investigation of more than 600 cases and arrest of about 436 suspects. It was also revealed that at least 55 of these cases were linked to political crimes. Last year, Mchunu requested for the unit to be disbanded, and when that did not happen, some 121 case dockets containing information on political killings were seized. Mkhwanazi says the shut down of the task team and the seizure of its files were done by Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiyato to cover the link the team had made between the crimes and politicians, police, prosecutors and drug cartels. It has also been alleged that the actions of Mchunu are being financially supported by a corrupt business men, supporting the minister’s political career.
Despite Mchunu’s denial of the allegations, pressure from South Africans and the media has led to President Ramaphosa’s response to the issue, citing that “it is critical that these matters be attended to with the necessary urgency and thoroughness.” The former minister of police has also pledged to avail himself and respond to all allegations even as the judicial commission, headed by the nation’s deputy chief justice does its work.
Some analysts have noted that the allegations are rooted in credible evidence and thus puts pressure on Ramaphosa’s government to respond adequately. The leadership of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference(SACBC) have in a report, lauded the directive of the president, adding that findings from the investigation must be made public. The African National Congress(ANC) has also mentioned that they are opened to constitutional processes that seek to uphold the integrity of the institutions in South Africa.
Oppositions parties in South Africa have however criticised the president for not firing Mchunu, liking his association with the ANC as a highly respected member and possible successor to Ramaphosa as some reasons for his suspension, of which he will still receive pay. Others have also noted that the president’s previous appointees for inquiries have yielded little outcome despite his promise of fighting against corruption once in office.
