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Mail & Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
The dangerous allure of Mkhwanazi's state collapse narrative
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. (@SAPoliceService/X) he essence of politics lies in the conquest of hearts and minds, achieved by whatever means prove necessary. While numerous strategies exist to accomplish this, one particularly intriguing tactic is the notion of political martyrdom. This is the deliberate projection of ethics, sacrifice and altruism, even at the expense of one's own self-preservation, to sway public sentiment so profoundly that it compels audiences to overlook even the most dubious subtexts beneath such displays. Let me preface this by stating unequivocally that I do not, in any way, accuse the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner of employing such a strategy. It may well be that his seismic revelations of corruption were motivated solely by an unwavering devotion to this nation and its people. But, what must be plainly understood in politics is the old axiom: where there is smoke, there is fire. One cannot simply disregard the events that unfolded during Mkhwanazi's press conference, nor those that followed in its wake. Let us examine some of the signs that warrant scrutiny. The press conference, in retrospect, employed symbolic imagery reminiscent of a classic coup d'état. For reasons unknown to the public, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi appeared in paramilitary attire, flanked by fellow officers similarly dressed, with some conspicuously masked in balaclavas. Beyond the seismic corruption revelations he delivered, the subtext of his message was unmistakable: the state, including both the executive and the judiciary, could not be trusted. While Chief Justice Mandisa Maya issued a forceful rebuke of Mkhwanazi's claims, the executive's leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, adopted a weaker response — authorising a commission of inquiry and suspending the implicated police minister, Senzo Mchunu. Ramaphosa's reaction served to reinforce, at least in the public eye, Mkhwanazi's underlying narrative: that the state is inherently untrustworthy. Consequently, we have witnessed crowds mobilising in Johannesburg and Durban under the slogan 'Hands Off Mkhwanazi' (a classic hallmark of martyrdom politics) rallying behind the narrative of institutional distrust. This phenomenon is unprecedented in South Africa; even during the Zuma era, protests were directed at the man himself ('Zuma Must Fall'), not the state as an entity. What distinguishes Mkhwanazi's movement is its implicit assertion that the system itself is diseased and must be dismantled. That, to my mind, is the perilous blaze beneath the smoke, one we would do well to observe with vigilance. As committed democrats and South African patriots, we must subject Mkhwanazi's narrative to rigorous scrutiny. While none can deny the pervasiveness of corruption within certain state institutions, it would be intellectually dishonest to assert our entire state system has collapsed beneath its burden. Consider the judiciary, which steadfastly remains resilient. Civil society endures as a necessary watchdog, unearthing graft and malfeasance. The rule of law, though tested, persists, compelling even the most wayward politicians and business actors to tread cautiously, as though haunted by its spectre. Our democracy stands intact; the imperative is not demolition, but course-correction — reforming the state to perfect our system, not destroy it. We must guard vigilantly against justifying necessary reforms through narratives of total state collapse. In a nation already exhibiting troubling symptoms of mass discontent — with security vacuums, widespread disillusionment and entrenched deprivation — this rhetoric risks becoming the very kindling for violent insurrection. Is this truly our desired outcome? I submit this question for sober reflection. Siseko Maposa is the director of Surgetower Associates Management Consultancy. The views expressed are his own opinion.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire shoplifting and weapons offences on the rise
A county saw a drop in recorded personal robberies and home burglaries over the past year - but a rise in shoplifting and possession of weapons offences, according to its police and crime Preston, the elected official who oversees policing in Cambridgeshire, said officers were "working hard to respond to demand".Cambridgeshire had 1,732 police officers on the beat at the end of March, which is the same figure as last year, and itself a record commissioner, who was re-elected for a four-year term last year as the Conservative candidate, has produced a draft annual report covering local policing in the year to April. Preston said: "With more officers in our cities, towns and rural areas through proactive recruitment and improvements to call handling, the constabulary is working hard to respond to demand."He added that police funding remained a "big issue" in the county and that trust in policing was an "ongoing" problem nationally."It is important to remember that the majority of officers and staff enter policing for the right reasons – to tackle crime and keep communities safe." Compared with last year, 11% fewer personal robbery offences were recorded and there were 9% fewer instances of residential other offences increased annually – there was a 22% increase in shoplifting and a 17% increase in possession of weapons report said that police response times had improved in general, from 20 minutes last year to 14 minutes in recent months on said shoplifting was a rising national trend and that the force's Spree Offender Team had seen 1,639 charges since September patrols in 20 locations regarded as hotspots had led to 160 weapons being taken from streets, the report draft report will be discussed at a meeting of the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime panel in Peterborough on 17 July. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Blair dies aged 72
Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Blair, who was in charge of the force during the July 7 bombings, has died at the age of 72. Ian Blair, who ran the force from 2005 to 2008, took a seat as a crossbench peer in 2010 when he became Lord Blair of Boughton. He had earlier been knighted in 1999. His death was confirmed by Christ Church Oxford, where he was an honorary student. In a statement on Friday, Christ Church Oxford said: 'The Christ Church community would like to extend its condolences to the family of Ian Blair, the Lord Blair of Boughton QPM, who has died at the age of 72. 'Lord Blair, an alumnus and honorary student (fellow) of Christ Church, served as the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police from 2005 to 2008.' The often controversial senior police officer saw his career cut short when he was axed from Scotland Yard by Tory mayor Boris Johnson. Until that point, he had held on to the job despite the furore caused by death of Jean Charles de Menezes, whom police shot at Stockwell Tube station in July 2005 after mistaking him for a suicide bomber. He clung on through a series of further hurdles with the support of the Home Secretary, the Police Authority and most of all, his senior officers. But when the new mayor took charge of the Police Authority and told him privately that he had no confidence in his work, he walked out. Lord Blair was chief constable of Surrey Police for two years before becoming deputy commissioner of the Met in 2000, taking over the top job five years later.
Bloomberg
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Fresh From One Crisis, South Africa's Ramaphosa Faces Another
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is lurching from one crisis to another. A trip to Brazil to meet fellow BRICs heads of state was interrupted on Sunday by explosive allegations against a key political ally. A top police commissioner said a cabinet minister from the president's party sabotaged probes into political assassinations.
ABC News
03-07-2025
- ABC News
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens opens up about 1991 firearm incident
When Grant Stevens was confronted by waiting journalists as he left the ABC's Adelaide studios following a radio interview on Wednesday morning, he smiled wryly. "I'm not armed. It's OK," the SA Police Commissioner said. The quip was in reference to an incident from the commissioner's professional past in which he had, he said, accidentally discharged his firearm during a raid on the house of an alleged drug dealer. A recent newspaper story had drawn attention to the episode, which dates back to the early 1990s when the now-commissioner was a young criminal investigator. Here's a look at what happened, why it has now made headlines, and why an Office for Public Integrity assessment will be conducted. Earlier this week, Adelaide's Sunday Mail newspaper published a report containing allegations relating to a "high-ranking South Australian police officer". The story claimed the officer had accidentally fired their gun while attending a house in the northern suburbs during the 1990s. The article stated that, while no-one had been injured, the officer was now "under investigation over [the] historical claims" — and the report questioned whether details had been "properly disclosed" at the time in accordance with police rules. The officer was not named in the story. On Wednesday, the SA Police Commissioner — who disputed several of the claims made in the article, and insisted the incident had been handled in "accordance with our procedures" at the time — confirmed he was the officer in question. "It was me," he said at the start of the interview on ABC Radio Adelaide. The commissioner said while rigid statutory restrictions typically prevented public reporting about details relating to police complaints and ongoing internal investigations, he was authorising disclosures to stop suspicion falling on others. "In the interests of removing the cloud from other very senior officers in SAPOL … I'm making the decision to say this was me, this is what happened," he said. According to the commissioner, the incident occurred when he was a junior Senior Constable with the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) at Elizabeth in 1991. "We were doing a drug raid on a known heroin dealer, and during the course of trying to gain entry to the house, it became apparent he was trying to dispose of the drugs," he said. "On that basis, we started to force entry to the house and in the course of trying to force entry I accidentally discharged my firearm." The commissioner said his supervisor was present at the time and that the police internal investigation branch was notified. "I received what we would call now managerial guidance and that is essentially the same process that would apply to a police officer who found themselves in a similar situation today," he told ABC Radio Adelaide. The Sunday Mail reported there had been a second incident "several months later" in which the commissioner had again accidentally fired his gun — a claim he strongly rejected. "I'm aware of the incident they're referring to but there was no discharge of a firearm," he said. "It didn't happen twice. There has only ever been one occasion that I have accidentally discharged my firearm." On Wednesday, the commissioner was asked about the fact that the incident had publicly surfaced after more than three decades, and whether he thought it was part of an attempt to undermine him. The source of the story, he said, could have been someone who either had "access to records regarding the incident" or actually attended. "I know who was there on the day — I consider most of those people friends, so I don't know it would be them," he said. The commissioner later said he could not speculate "on the motivations for whoever relayed this incident to a journalist". "There are always going to be detractors for people who have positions of responsibility in the community," he said. But he added that he did not find the revelation "damaging" and that he had never "shied away from" discussing it with other officers. "I've actually relayed the story on occasions over the last 34 years for different reasons to let other police officers understand how fragile circumstances can be," he said. "It serves as a lesson to the community that policing has inherent risks in it, mistakes do happen." The commissioner said that, because of the way in which the incident had resurfaced, authorities were now duty-bound to carry out a formal assessment. "If you ask questions of the South Australia Police and in the context of that question there's an allegation of wrongdoing, we must in accordance with the act treat it as a complaint," he said. "Our ethical and professional standards branch have received the information … so they are bound to do an assessment." That process would, he said, be overseen by the Office for Public Integrity. "I'm happy to speak to our investigators if they need to do so," he said. "People who act in good faith generally aren't adversely affected by those actions."
