LETTERS | Police chief search clouded by controversy and doubts

With police commissioner Fannie Masemola on his way out after being summoned to appear in court this month — though not charged with corruption — for allegedly contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), attention has shifted to who will replace him, particularly in the immediate term in an acting capacity.

Many names are in the mix, including that of Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the newly reappointed KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner.

What is significant is the reality that each, including Mkhwanazi himself, comes with baggage. And indeed, there are very compelling reasons not to appoint Mkhwanazi. Ironically, not because one doubts his professionalism and competence, but due to extraneous factors.

One glaring reason is that he previously acted as a police officer commissioner and unceremoniously left the post under a cloud. Up to now, it is not very clear what happened there with Mkhwanazi himself unhelpfully trying to explain that “he realised it was something he had not signed for”.

If at that time he could not stand the job, what has changed today that we can trust him to be in the position? Until this matter is cleared up, this works against him.

Second, despite his 2025 July press conference, which led to the establishment of the Madlanga commission and the parliamentary ad hoc committee to probe his allegations that drug/crime cartels have burrowed themselves into the body politic of South Africa, Mkhwanazi remains an enigma.

One of the many ironies accompanying the rise of his public persona and the respect he commands is this: what is he really about? Should we take at face value his claim that his aim is purely to uproot crime and ignore what he himself has admitted are “holes” that remain unexplained?

For example, the image he projected at his historic press conference still leaves lingering doubts. His camouflaged appearance, with his similarly clad and heavily armed entourage, raised serious questions. He has explained that he was sending a strong message to his criminal enemies that he was seriously on the warpath. But this explanation is inadequate.

From another angle, it conjures a man who is potentially obsessed with power and somewhat of a loose cannon, as he did not even consult or even warn his superiors — the president and commissioner — that he was going to go public on these explosive revelations.

Last, Mkhwanazi has been fingered in the very commissions his bravery has spawned — that he is right at the centre of factional power battles in the police.

It should also be underlined that these observations are not meant to convey that Mkwananzi is a lost cause. But before all these stories are cleared — for example, that his 2025 July media conference was a pre-emptive strike rather than motivated by genuine concerns — he must stay where he is.

And this responsibility rests with the parliamentary ad hoc committee but critically the Madlanga Commission.

- Dr Thabisi Hoeane, Head of Department, Political Sciences, Unisa, Pretoria

R2-trillion tax milestone sparks outrage at government

I refer to recent press reports that the cabinet has hailed the R2-trillion South African Revenue Service tax collection as a milestone.

“Cabinet” had absolutely nothing to do with this milestone achievement. Typical of politicians to take full credit for something they didn’t do.

Tax receipts passed R2-trillion because South Africa’s taxpayers are among the highest taxed individuals in the world. Our GNU cabinet is bigger and more bloated than it has ever been at any time in our history.

Over the Christmas holidays, the cabinet voted themselves a 4% salary increase — backdated a year to April 1 2025. That’s nearly R200,000 per cabinet minister. Not one cabinet minister stopped it, refused it, handed it back or called it out. Not one. They think they deserve it.

Yet across South Africa, services are failing, infrastructure is crumbling, standards are falling, and corruption, waste and wanton disregard are evident everywhere: from the condition of our roads to the abject state of our SAPS.

Crime and corruption at the highest levels are seemingly everywhere. Even our president, Cyril Ramaphosa, can’t or won’t say how millions of rand in undeclared US dollar notes found their way into his couch cushions. Worse, he is above the law, facing no consequences. You try doing that at home and see what happens to you.

Vulnerable people disappear and die in squalor in our state hospitals and institutions without anybody responsible ever being held to account, while the ANC deputy president accumulates a R30m residential property portfolio in under a decade from his public office salary. How is this possible?

R2-trillion in tax receipts is NOT a reason for backslapping from third-rate politicians and for tender thieves to rejoice and claim credit. It is an indication of wanton failure and shame.

The shame of a nation — and a GNU cabinet — that collects so much in tax revenue yet manages to deliver so little and improve the lives of so few with it.

And then still hails it as an achievement. That is just sick.

- Mark Lowe, Durban

Electoral system blamed for decline in parliamentary accountability

Barney Mthombothi is right to provoke outrage with his claim that some of our parliamentarians appear “dumb and stupid”.

The real target of his critique is not individuals; it is the electoral system that produces them. Our closed-list proportional representation system has visibly and alarmingly hollowed out accountability. As MPs are not directly answerable to voters but to party bosses, compliance and not independent critical thinking is demanded.

When representatives fear losing their place on a party list or being booted out, they become overly compliant and slavishly toe the party line. No wonder the quality of debate and oversight has declined so much.

Parliament has visibly become an echo chamber rather than a site of rigorous scrutiny of executive action. If we are serious about strengthening democracy, we must confront this structural flaw. It is imperative that we have electoral reform that introduces a stronger link between voters and representatives.

This has to happen via civil society initiatives, not resistant political parties for obvious reasons.

Until then, mediocrity will thrive. The system, after all, is working exactly as designed.

- Farouk Cassim, Former MP, Milnerton