If KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is to be believed, this country is being run by politicians who are in cahoots with criminals.
One of the most shocking claims of his testimony this week to parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the police service, is the existence of text communications between former police minister Bheki Cele and attempted murder accused and controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
According to Mkhwanazi, Cele sent banking details to Matlala via the WhatsApp social media app. Mkhwanazi also cast doubt that Cele’s successor, suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu, was the author of the letter that gave instruction for the disbandment of the political killings task teams – suggesting he merely signed a letter drafted by outsiders.
More allegations suggest links between Matlala and deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya. Mkhwanazi alleged that Sibiya had amassed assets and property under questionable circumstances.
Asked if the corruption he uncovered was worse than during the Jacob Zuma years, Mkhwanazi responded with an emphatic yes. It’s unsettling knowing that people who have been entrusted with positions of authority have allegedly used that power to enable criminality and protect criminals. It’s a spine-chilling scenario.
We should be grateful that Mkhwanazi’s allegations were not swept under the carpet after his famous July 6 press briefing. President Cyril Ramaphosa and National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza deemed it necessary that Mkhwanazi’s allegations be probed in the full glare of a public inquiry.
But, it’s not all doom and gloom in this great Republic. On the sporting front, our national football team is on the verge of qualifying for the Fifa World Cup. Our boys take on Zimbabwe in our “away game” at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban this evening.
Yes, you read that right – it is our away game because Zimbabwe cannot play its home matches in their country because none of their stadiums meet Fifa’s requirements. This is proof that we have not yet been certified a banana republic.
Our football is on the upside. We are producing quality young players – even from that team in Orlando East. Relebogile Mofokeng is emerging as one of the best creative players of his generation. Then there is Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who scored a cracker from near the centre line for his team last weekend.
The Mighty Amakhosi are not far from their noisy neighbours in terms of nurturing talent. Midfield maestro Mfundo Vilakazi led the SA under-20 team to the quarterfinals of the under-20 Fifa World Cup, and his teammate, Mduduzi Shabalala, is cementing his position in Bafana Bafana.
And then we have our outstanding national rugby team. The Springboks are relentless in keeping Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nation happy. Last weekend they successfully defended the Rugby Championship by defeating Argentina. At the rate they are playing, they seem to be well on track to retain the World Cup trophy in 2027.
Our female national rugby team is also a force to be reckoned with. They bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup last month after giving New Zealand a tough match.
And on the entertainment side, we’re not doing too bad, either. The youth genre of amapiano has dominated dance floors way beyond our shores. Our own Tyla has become a global superstar and is not shy to tell anyone who cares to listen of her roots.
We also regained respect in geopolitics after our government correctly took Israel to the International Court of Justice for committing genocide in Gaza. Even though the decision has had dire consequences for our trade relations with the US, it earned us respect in other parts of the world as a country that stands up for human rights and human dignity.
The global shift in world perception about the genocide in Gaza can be attributed, in part, to SA’s unwavering support for the people of Palestine.
While Mkhwanazi may have painted a bleak picture of our politicians, there’s a flicker of hope that maybe a new generation will emerge to take over from all sides of the political spectrum. The ANC has a large number of promising young leaders who, hopefully, have learnt from the disastrous leadership that the party has given us in the past 16 years.
The DA also has a significant number of promising young leaders, such as basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube, communications minister Solly Malatsi, and others. The new kid on the block, Rise Mzansi, is also being led by fairly young patriots like Songezo Zibi and Makashule Gana.
Mmusi Maimane has also assembled a group of energetic youths in forming Bosa, and the EFF is also a youthful organisation.
Even though Mkhwanzi’s testimony has sent shivers down our spines, the sky is not about to fall.
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