Are Ramaphosa's commissions investigative action or political deflection?
Image: Jairus Mmutle/ GCIS
Since taking office in 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa has established numerous presidential commissions and task teams in South Africa. While these are intended to investigate corruption and address crises, critics argue that they serve as a costly substitute for decisive action, often leading to minimal progress.
Ramaphosa's presidency has been marked by an unprecedented number of formal commissions of inquiry and ad hoc advisory bodies, costing millions of rand. Some critics suggest that this approach has prioritised investigations over prosecution, especially of politically connected individuals.
Notable among these are the recent commissions into law enforcement corruption, apartheid-era prosecutions, and the state's response to COVID-19 procurement irregularities.
For instance, earlier this week, Ramaphosa announced aims to investigate allegations of police corruption involving Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, national deputy commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, the judiciary, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The commission's establishment follows mounting public concern over the integrity of South Africa's law enforcement agencies and the government's ability to hold influential figures accountable.
Since 2018, President Ramaphosa has established numerous task forces, committees, and commissions.
Some of the most prominent include the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans, led by the late Deputy President David Mabuza, which focuses on veteran welfare and the Zondo Commission.
The Presidential Climate Finance Task Team tasked with mobilising funds for South Africa's energy transition, the National Logistics Crisis Committee, responsible for addressing infrastructure collapse and vandalism in logistics sectors, G20 Task Forces covering inclusive economic growth, food security, and artificial intelligence/data governance during South Africa's G20 presidency are among some of the commissions.
In addition, several commissions of inquiry have been set up to probe sensitive issues, including the Inquiry into Law Enforcement Agencies and the Commission of Inquiry into Delayed TRC Prosecutions.
Since 2018, more than eight commissions have been established, with some critics questioning their effectiveness.
Opposition parties have been vociferous in their criticism. Vuyo Zungula, leader of the African Transformation Movement, argued that 'appointing commissions is often a way for the president to deflect public outrage rather than pursue real accountability.'
Zungula strongly advocated utilising existing institutions like the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which he believes has a proven track record of prosecuting corruption.
Similarly, Mmusi Maimane, leader of Build One South Africa, has called for the revival of the now-disbanded 'Scorpions,' an elite police unit known for probing top political figures and corruption allegations. This entity was dissolved amid political controversy.
Political analysts interpret Ramaphosa's extensive use of commissions as a strategic move.
Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast suggests that 'this is a well-calculated political response,' highlighting concerns over the pace and effectiveness of these investigations.
'While placing Mchunu on leave is a good move, he prolonged timelines of these commissions risk creating a sense of inertia,' Breakfast warned.
Ian Cameron, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, voiced a familiar frustration.
'We've seen this movie before. The Zondo Commission cost taxpayers billions, yet few of its recommendations have been implemented, and no kingpin is behind bars.'
In response to mounting criticism of the commission to investigate police corruption, President Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, stated the government's commitment to transparency and accountability.
'The commission's reports will be delivered within strict timelines- an interim report within three months and a final report in six,' Magwenya stated.
He added, "If any compelling evidence emerges during the process, it will be handed over to prosecuting authorities immediately.'
Magwenya insisted that 'the President is not shielding anyone,' reaffirming Ramaphosa's stance that these investigations aim to uncover the truth and restore public confidence.
[email protected]
IOL Politics
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Erosion of public trust in South Africa: Understanding the crisis and potential solutions
Experts say that the trust deficit in most government institutions, if not all, is a systematic issue. Pictured is South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa. Image: Supplied South African citizens have had enough of poor service delivery, high levels of crime, corruption, unresponsive government, and public institutions; they believe that they have been taken for granted for too long. As a result, public trust and confidence in government and public institutions are at their lowest at present, experts say. A recent survey by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) revealed that South Africans' trust in government institutions has declined, with the police recording 22%, the lowest since 1998. There is a trust deficit in almost all government institutions, including the Parliament. Professor Purshottama Reddy, a Public Governance expert from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, stated that the tolerance levels of the citizenry have reached their limit with compounded issues of poor municipal service delivery, notably load shedding, water outages, inflated municipal billing, and urban decay. Reddy said the erosion of public trust in South Africa's government has gradually occurred over three decades, but has significantly accelerated in the past decade. 'It started with the ushering in of coalition governments at the local level from around 2016, 2017, the deliberations of the Zondo Commission, and finally leading up to the May 2024 elections. 'I think that developments in the past week (the explosive allegations by KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi against police minister Senzo Mchunu, whom he accused of involvement in criminal syndicates) were the straw that broke the camel's back,' he said. He added that public institutions should be open and transparent in all their operations to restore confidence in the populace. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'All government activities should be open and transparent. The processes for appointments, suspensions, and dismissals, decision-making should be inclusive, and provision should be made for greater diversity in terms of different ethnic groups, as well as political representation, like what we are having now in the government of national unity. 'Some of the transgressors in some of the more widely publicised cases should be tried and sentenced. And that should send a strong message that the government is quite serious about curbing the scourge of corruption, reducing crime, and more importantly, enhancing service delivery, particularly concerning basic services,' Reddy said. He added that the anti-corruption agencies, oversight bodies, and the office of the public protector can be strengthened by appointing individuals strictly on merit. That is, people who have the qualifications, experience, expertise, and are independent. They should be firm, decisive, and undertake their tasks without favour or fear. But how did we get here? Reddy said that in 1994, when the ANC took over, the first decade of democracy went extremely well because many public functionaries, both politicians and officials, were very dedicated and sincere. He added that the first public functionaries had the requisite experience and qualifications, and they occupied senior positions, resulting in a very effective government. 'There was a high level of trust in the government then. The rot began in the second decade of democracy when some younger politicians and public servants came in. There were also a lot of political appointments to positions because of their standing in the political party, or some role they played in the struggle. The level of dedication and sincerity in terms of serving the communities was reduced somewhat. 'A lot of us did not have any problems with the people that were involved with the struggle being appointed, and so on. But, once these people were appointed, they brought in a whole lot of their friends and relatives, who did not have the qualifications, experience, which constituted a problem. And to a certain extent, this compromised service delivery,' Reddy said. He added that major governance challenges began in the second decade of democracy. These included poor service delivery, corruption, high crime levels, a lack of political and management will, a lack of inclusivity and diversity, unfulfilled promises of economic growth and job creation, and unethical leadership by public functionaries, as well as the absence of a merit-based system. 'We also saw a large number of coalitions being established at the local level, and that also created a great deal of instability in local government, because there should be guidelines governing these coalitions. 'The first of the major considerations should be service delivery. It shouldn't be a question of what is in it for the political party or the individual in terms of positions of mayor, deputy mayor, Speaker, or being on the executive. So, those are the root causes that have resulted in a decline in public trust in South Africa,' Reddy said. Dr Ngqapheli Mchunu, a senior researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council and one of the survey's authors, said while trust in the SAPS is low, at 22% in the year 2024/2025, it is not necessarily a matter of the police or SAPS trust being low in an isolative manner. It is a systemic issue because almost all the other institutions are low. Factors such as corruption, inefficiency, and a lack of sustainability contribute to the erosion of trust. Perceptions of corruption have a pull-down effect on almost all institutions because citizens will not necessarily apply or adopt a nuanced perspective to peel all the layers and get to the root problem. That process takes too long and it's too complicated, Mchunu said. 'Local government is low on trust, provincial government, national government, and even trust in political parties is very low. A trust deficit has happened in the country's democracy, and most institutions, if not all. 'We run the risk of having an illegitimate state of government in the sense that people need to endorse the state or state institutions. The minute that does not happen, people are not likely to comply or support state initiatives or projects, which essentially rely on citizens to embrace and buy into the idea of whatever it is the state is seeking to achieve,' Mchunu said. He added that an example would be the 2021/2022 national lockdown caused by Covid-19, where a lot of state guidelines were not necessarily followed, after the allegations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) corruption emerged. He said citizens want to see action. They want to see change; they want to see service delivery. And the minute that does not happen, while at the same time, they are reading about certain individuals getting bribed, tenders, corruption scandals in the millions and billions. That obviously ends up shaping the negative perceptions that citizens have, even though that may not have been a view that they held from the outset. Once we begin to see more positive news, like investigations or certain people being held accountable for their crimes. We will then see a rise in the popularity of SAPS, Mchunu said. Professor William Gumede from the Wits School of Governance said the government needs to take the public trust issue seriously and not respond in the same way they did in the past, where they would issue a statement and say that they are aware of the issues. 'Now, they must try to do better by bringing in the capacity of the Government of National Unity partners that are not ANC partners, bringing in the capacity outside government, where you have businesses, civil society, and professionals, and also come up with more pragmatic policies rather than ideological policies. They must come up with policies that are pro-economic growth and that can create employment,' Gumede said. 'Political will is at the heart of everything. This is the moment where the ANC must choose between itself as a party and the country. So far, the ANC has chosen the ANC; they have not chosen the country. Not choosing the ANC means not appointing ANC people who are corrupt or incompetent, just for the sake of the unity of the ANC,' Gumede said. Naledi Kuali, executive director of Defend Our Democracy, said failure to hold corrupt officials and dismantle criminal networks has resulted in a severe loss of public trust, an environment where the government is viewed as endorsing corruption. 'It is one thing for people to know corruption and state capture exist; it is another for service delivery to be so poor that people are so gravely and intimately affected by it in their everyday lives. It shows a contempt for the people and an unwillingness to be held to the promises made. Communities have stopped looking to leadership for assistance, which manifests in resentment and hopelessness towards our democracy,' Kuali said. She said accountability and transparency are effective in rebuilding public trust, adding that leadership needs not only to distance themselves from corruption but lead in a way that makes it unsustainable for the actor. Reuben Coetzer, spokesperson for Free SA, said South Africans are weary of watching inquiry after inquiry, only to see the implicated promoted, protected, or quietly forgotten. 'The credibility crisis is not just about one minister or one commission. It's about the erosion of democratic trust. We need prosecutions, resignations, recoveries of stolen funds, and above all, leadership that respects the intelligence of its people,' Coetzer said. According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer South Africa report, business and NGOs remain the most trusted institutions in South Africa, with 68% and 63% respectively.
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Zimbabwean man accused of raping landlord's daughter denied bail
The magistrate flagged weaknesses in the bail application, citing lack of proof of self-employment and unclear family residence. The Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court has denied bail to a 55-year-old Zimbabwean national charged with three counts of raping his landlord's 12-year-old daughter in March. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the decision. 'The NPA's firm opposition to bail underscores its unwavering commitment to combating gender-based violence (GBV) and protecting vulnerable children,' said Lumka Mahanjana, NPA Regional Spokesperson for Gauteng Division, Pretoria. The allegations The accused, who had been a tenant at the victim's Saulsville residence for 12 years, allegedly lured the child to his back room on three separate occasions in March. According to the charges, he raped her and gave her money ranging from R24 to R50 to buy a Kota after each incident. Mahanjana said the case came to light on 25 June 2025 when the victim's mother discovered suspicious phone conversations. While the complainant was on the phone that evening, her mother asked who she was speaking to, and when she could not respond, requested to examine her phone. 'While going through the phone, she saw conversations where the accused was asking the complainant when will she be going on her periods,' Mahanjana explained. Man arrested after victim's examination The mother immediately confronted the accused in his back room. The accused denied the allegations and suggested that they take the child to Kalafong Hospital for examination. During the medical examination at the hospital, a nurse contacted police, leading to the accused's arrest at the scene. ALSO READ: More than 2 600 wanted criminals linked to violent crimes arrested in South Africa Bail hearing arguments During the bail proceedings, the accused's legal representative argued for his release. He claimed that the state's case was weak, emphasising his responsibilities to support his wife and six children. 'He further stated that, as a self-employed individual, detention would hinder his income and ability to afford legal fees,' according to court records. State Prosecutor Katlego Manana opposed the bail application, focusing on the severity of the charges and the high prevalence of such offences in the court's jurisdiction. Manana emphasised the risk of the accused interfering with the investigation due to his familiarity with both the victim and her mother. The prosecutor also noted the accused's lack of immovable property in South Africa, which increased the likelihood of his evading trial. ALSO READ: 'Fishing expedition': NPA criticised for trying to reopen Omotoso rape trial Weaknesses in Zimbabwean national's bail application The presiding magistrate identified several weaknesses in the bail application. She noted that the accused failed to provide proof of his claimed self-employment status and presented no evidence showing whether his family resides in South Africa or Zimbabwe. 'She further said that in his bail application, the accused only listed his responsibilities and no substantial circumstances,' Mahanjana reported. 'Moreover, the magistrate said if the accused suffers financially while in custody and cannot afford a legal representative, he can apply for Legal Aid. 'Therefore, bail was denied.' ALSO READ: Withdrawn GBV cases allow 'perpetrators to evade justice', hears portfolio committee NPA response The NPA commended both the victim's mother for her vigilance and the hospital staff who facilitated police involvement. Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren praised Prosecutor Katlego Manana's work on the case. 'The denial of bail sends a clear message: the NPA will vigorously oppose release for those accused of heinous GBV crimes, prioritising the safety of victims and communities,' Van Vuuren stated. Call for community action The NPA emphasised the importance of community alertness in protecting children from abuse. 'The NPA urges families and communities to remain vigilant, report suspected abuse promptly, and support survivors through Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs), which offer medical, psychological, and legal assistance,' Mahanjana said. She stated the broader implications of the case, noting that 'this case highlights the critical role of parents in recognising signs of abuse and acting decisively.' The prosecution authority called on South Africans to unite against gender-based violence, working to create safe environments where children's constitutional rights to dignity and safety are upheld, and perpetrators face the full might of the law. The case has been postponed to 23 July 2025 for allocation to the regional court. READ NEXT: Free State father sentenced to life for daughter's rape
TimesLIVE
an hour ago
- TimesLIVE
G20 finance chiefs meet in Durban under tariff cloud
G20 finance chiefs will meet in Durban on Thursday under the shadow of US President Donald Trump's tariff threats and questions about their ability to tackle global challenges together. The club, which came to the fore as a forum for international co-operation to combat the global financial crisis, has for years been hobbled by disputes among key players exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Moscow. Host South Africa, under its presidency motto 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability', has aimed to promote an African agenda, with topics including the high cost of capital and funding for climate change action. The G20 aims to co-ordinate policies but its agreements are non-binding. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent will not attend the two-day meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, marking his second absence from a G20 event in South Africa this year. Bessent also skipped February's Cape Town gathering, where several officials from China, Japan and Canada were also absent, even though Washington is due to assume the G20 rotating presidency at the end of the year.
