Mr President, the ball is in your court
The damning allegations against Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu being linked with crime syndicates and interfering in high-profile cases are very disturbing.
These include political killings, suspected ghost staff being employed in the South African Police Service (Saps) crime intelligence division after seven senior officials were arrested on corruption charges recently and cops linked to gender-based violence and femicide.
Sadly, this just another day in South Africa…
As explosive as the allegations are, made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Sunday, there's little surprise.
Yes, with corruption being rife in Saps, trust in them is low and there is very little confidence in our law enforcement authorities anyway.
So will heads roll? It will be interesting to see how President Cyril Ramaphosa handles this scandal when he returns from the Brics summit in Brazil.
ALSO READ: 'ANC is on the side of the truth': Party calls for urgent action on police interference allegations
Will he appoint yet another committee or panel to look into these allegations? Will he suspend those fingered?
Or will he just take time to apply his mind once more, even though he has said this is a matter of 'grave national security concern', and we need to 'uphold the integrity of the country's security services as the ongoing exchange of accusations could erode public trust and disrupt the cohesion of the police'.
No kidding. Police portfolio committee chair Ian Cameron hit the nail on the head when he said: 'South Africans deserve clear answers. Silence is not an option.'
He added: 'The allegations, if correct, have far-reaching implications on the effectiveness of Saps and require immediate attention. The committee has long highlighted concerns over the rot within the police which impacts its ability to investigate crime.'
Mr President, the ball is in your court.
If local law enforcement doesn't make you feel safe, who will?
NOW READ: Mkhwanazi knows the risk of speaking out, says police committee chair
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