The rising tide of crime in South Africa: A call for ethical leadership

IN A a nation still reeling from rising criminality, unemployment, and economic stagnation, political arrogance is no longer just a public relations blunder, it is a direct threat to societal stability.

- AWAM MAVIMBELA

South Africa finds itself at a crossroads where public trust in state institutions is crumbling, and the line between order and chaos is thinning.

The recent wave of reaction to KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's allegations is a revealing indicator of how desperate citizens are for honest, fearless leadership amid pervasive corruption and lawlessness.

Meanwhile, arrogance among some political leaders is pushing the nation closer to the edge, echoing the violent tremors of the July 2021 unrest, which were sparked by former President Jacob Zuma's incarceration.

According to the 2024 South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics, murder rates increased by 2.1% from the previous year, with more than 27,000 people killed annually — an average of 74 murders a day.

This spike comes amid widespread reports of police inefficiency, political interference in policing, and lack of accountability. In this climate, figures like General Mkhwanazi have emerged as rare beacons of integrity, challenging political interference in police work and calling out unethical behaviour in real time.

His popularity, which came to the fore once again during marches in Durban and Soweto on Tuesday, is not rooted in charisma, but in credibility and that should concern any political elite coasting on privilege and detachment from the people's lived realities.