Madlanga commission needs public trust to succeed

PEOPLE have now come to accept that a commission of inquiry is the chosen way to respond to both the specifics raised by Lt General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in his recent explosive press conference as well as the general issues that this press conference brought to the fore.

- SIPHMANDLA ZONDI

The specific issues are of course allegations that the minister of police, who was put on leave, interfered with operational processes in the police service including in relation to the closure of the Political Killings Task Team. It was also alleged that Minister Senzo Mchunu had a corrupt relationship with one of the business people doing business with the police service.

Other specific allegations relate to the role played by the deputy national commissioner, General Shadrack Sibiya in Mchunu’s alleged shenanigans.

General issues imply a crisis of leadership and integrity in the justice cluster, from police to the prosecution and the judiciary. It suggests that these are being captured by elements within sophisticated organised crime networks. It suggests that this undermines the efficacy of the state in relation to matters of justice, policing, prosecution and courts.

Whether the commission will offer real solutions to all this depends on a number of factors.