Cape town: President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the establishment of commissions of inquiry as a necessary tool to uphold integrity and accountability in South Africa’s criminal justice system. Delivering the Presidency Budget Vote for 2025/26 in Parliament on Wednesday, the President cautioned against premature calls for punitive action based on untested claims.
According to South African Government News Agency, this address comes in the wake of allegations made by the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) KwaZulu Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. In a national address last Sunday, President Ramaphosa placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on leave of absence with immediate effect. The President outlined the scope of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate allegations concerning the infiltration of law enforcement, intelligence, and associated institutions within the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates.
Among the allegations that the commission may investigate are the facilitation of organized crime, suppression or manipulation of investigations, inducement into criminal actions by law enforcement leadership, commission of any other criminal offenses, and intimidation, victimization, or targeted removal of whistleblowers or officials resisting criminal influence.
The President emphasized that these allegations are serious yet untested, highlighting the necessity of establishing an independent, credible, and thorough process to ensure accountability and maintain public confidence in the police service. He informed Parliament of the establishment of two commissions, including the recent one chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, following another from May led by Judge Sisi Khampepe into apartheid-era crimes.
President Ramaphosa rejected the criticism that such commissions yield no real outcomes, citing examples like the South African Revenue Service Commission and the Commission into the Public Investment Corporation. He noted the implementation of recommendations from the High Level Panel on the State Security Agency and the Expert Panel into the July 2021 unrest has led to significant improvements in oversight, accountability, and structural reforms.
Following the Expert Panel’s recommendations into the 2021 Civil Unrest, the government has taken steps to enhance intelligence coordination, public order policing, community policing forums, and the functionality of the National Security Council. The President also highlighted the major reforms undertaken in response to the State Capture Commission’s recommendations, including the enactment of eight new laws to strengthen anti-corruption institutions, procurement systems, intelligence services, and corporate accountability.
President Ramaphosa pointed out the recovery of more than R11 billion in assets, the freezing of an additional R10.6 billion, and the enrollment of dozens of high-profile criminal cases. He asserted that these commissions and panels demonstrate a government committed to transparency, accountability, and corrective action.
