We do not have the luxury of time for another drawn-out commission of inquiry. People are dying while justice is being delayed and possibly denied. The explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal’s Provincial Police Commissioner demand immediate and independent investigation by senior officials within the SAPS and NPA. The Commissioner must be protected as a whistleblower.
According to the allegations, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu unilaterally disbanded the Political Killings Task Team and redirected 121 active investigation dockets to the office of National Deputy Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sibiya, where they have allegedly been neutralised. If true, this amounts to political interference of the highest order and a deliberate sabotage of our criminal justice system at its most crucial stage – investigation.
In just the past two weeks, nearly two dozen lives have been lost in Cape Town alone due to rampant gang and organised crime violence. Organised crime cannot flourish without protection from powerful figures, be they police officers, prosecutors, or politicians.
South Africans already have little confidence in the police and growing scepticism towards prosecutors and the courts. Direct and damning allegations of political interference, made publicly by a senior police official, confirm that this lack of trust is not irrational.
Nearly two decades after the end of apartheid, the President has finally established a commission of inquiry into allegations of political interference in prosecutorial decisions related to apartheid-era crimes. This is ostensibly because prosecuting decisions should not be decided with political influence or political interference.
The same principle must apply to police work. Allegations of criminal offences and criminal investigations by police officers, including special task teams, should be free from influence and interference from the political Executive.
The stability of our country is at stake. The President must act decisively and without delay to restore confidence in our justice system. His response must be beyond reproach and meet the highest standard of public legitimacy and credibility.
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Sweet Manhattan
Germany: You have two cows. One lives in Deutchsland, the other lives in Germany. You still can\’t tell them apart.
Ozzie Treat
What\’s the difference between an ANC MP and a flying pig?
The letter F.