S'THEMBISO MSOMI | Investigate Mkhwanazi's allegations that security agency has been captured as a matter of urgency

The optics were horrible. The president was out of the country on official business, and flags were flying at half mast in honour of a former deputy president who died after a short illness.

Then, suddenly, a group of heavily armed men in combat gear appeared live on television, standing behind their commander who, flanked by his lieutenants, was about to address a press conference. It gave one that uncanny feeling of a military coup d’etat.

One wonders if that was intentional. For the sake of our republic, let’s hope that it was not because once we start planting ideas of resolving issues through the might of the gun, we would be going down a dark road of no return.

But forget the optics, what is really troubling here is what KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, actually alleged about police minister Senzo Mchunu, deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya, some powerful cops in Gauteng, senior prosecutors in the province, as well as some magistrates.

I am not going to detail all the allegations here, as I am almost certain that the editors have the story as one of the major ones in this edition. However, in summary, Mkhwanazi says the very agency that is supposed to provide safety and security for society has been captured by criminal gangs at the highest levels and that those supposed to make policing work effectively are actually working to defeat the ends of justice and shield drug lords and murderers from prosecution.

Of course, no matter how popular Mkhwanazi has become because of his no-nonsense attitude towards crime in his province — especially violent crime — we cannot take what he says as gospel truth. A thorough and independent investigation is required as a matter of urgency.

It should not be lost on us that, according to reports, national police commissioner Fannie Masemola is now in the departure lounge at the SA Police Service and the race to succeed him is heating up.

Speculation is that among the front-runners as Masemola’s successor are Mkhwanazi and Sibiya. So, it may very well be that the ugly drama we are seeing playing itself out in the public is driven, in the main, by this jostling for the post of next police commissioner.

However, it is highly unlikely that a policeman as seasoned and talented as Mkhwanazi would risk his reputation and his job by going out so publicly to make allegations of criminality on the part of the minister and other senior individuals without any evidence.

If any of what Mkhwanazi said is proven to be true, then the R1bn spent on the state capture commission was wasteful expenditure because it means that although the process freed the state from the clutches of Gupta kleptocracy, some of our leaders have now gone on to hand over the keys to our policing to drug syndicate bosses and thugs in police uniform.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has a real crisis on his hands, one that — if left unresolved — will not only severely undermine his government’s credibility in the fight against crime but will also make a mockery of his claim to clean governance.

At the time of writing this, Sibiya had denied all allegations, but Mchunu had not made a public statement. It is important that he sets the record straight as soon as possible.

As police minister, Mchunu is one of the president’s most trusted people in the cabinet.

Lest we forget, he was among the first ANC individuals to come out openly in support of Ramaphosa’s bid to become president on the grounds that the latter would put an end to Jacob Zuma-era corruption and state capture.

With the president’s second term as ANC leader having already entered its final stages, Mchunu’s name is one of those now being mentioned as a possible successor.

So, we are dealing here with allegations against someone who is not only playing an important role now but is being considered by some as an option for future leadership.

It is, therefore, imperative that investigations are swift, independent and credible and that the president takes immediate action against anyone who is found to be in the wrong.

There is growing frustration among citizens about growing levels of crime and the police’s inability to curb it. At a local level, many citizens have lost confidence in the police, believing that cops in their local police stations are working in cahoots with criminals.

How can the SAPS, and the government at large, win back the confidence of such citizens when there are now question marks about top cops and the police minister?

The president is in Brazil on important Brics business, but if last week he thought it important to cancel an international trip just because the DA was making an empty threat about leaving the GNU, then this week he should make his way back home as soon as he can.

And as soon as he lands, he should urgently address the nation to announce the steps to be taken to get to the bottom of the crisis.