What to make of the Mkhwanazi debacle

IT IS NOW an open secret in South Africa that some people in positions of power engage in unlawful activities such as corruption, bribery and extortion for purposes of self-enrichment.

- ZAKHELE COLLISION NDLOVU

What makes it common to break the law is that there are rarely any consequences, as culprits often get away with criminality.

Following Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s spooky claims of collusion between gangsters and those in charge of upholding the law, President Cyril Ramaphosa decided to establish yet another commission of inquiry.

The latest commission comes at a time when the findings of the previous ones, such as the Zondo Commission, are gathering dust. This explains why many South Africans are growing sceptical of the usefulness of commissions.

Early this month, KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial commissioner of police, Mkhwanazi, made very serious albeit not shocking allegations about the rot in the entire criminal justice system, and if one were to stretch one’s imagination, where else does it extend?

In a normal country, Mkhwanazi’s claims would be shocking, but this is the ANC-governed South Africa we are talking about here.

In 2010, R4 million went missing from a farm owned by the late former deputy president, David Mabuza. Even Ramaphosa has a cloud hanging over his head after millions of US dollars, not rand, were allegedly stolen from his Phala Phala place.

In a potentially disruptive move, Mkhwanazi alleged that the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, and senior law enforcement officers were in cahoots with criminal syndicates. The allegations raise serious issues with regard to the integrity of the entire criminal justice system and the effectiveness of Parliament to hold the executive branch accountable. Specifically, Parliament's portfolio committees on police, intelligence and justice appear to have been exposed as ineffective.

One wonders why Parliament has not summoned the minister of intelligence, the national commissioner of police, and the head of the NPA to shed light on Mkhwanazi’s claims.