African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System (Madlanga Commission) must be allowed to operate without interference.
Speaking at the ANC’s roll-call report-back meeting, Mbalula urged South Africans to give the commission space to carry out its mandate.
COMMISSION URGED TO WORK FREELY
The former police minister stressed that witnesses testifying before the commission are under oath and will face the consequences of the law if they lie. He said Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga and his team must be given the opportunity to complete their work and present their findings.
The ANC SG said that if KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations prove correct, the nation is in deep trouble.
“We don’t have a state, we don’t have a government. We are run by cartels and thugs,” he said.
Mbalula added that South Africans can follow proceedings and “connect the dots” by watching the commission.
POLICE CORRUPTION AND POLITICAL MEDDLING
Mkhwanazi concluded his three-day testimony, alleging that criminal syndicates have infiltrated the South African Police Service (SAPS). He also made claims relating to political interference.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola is expected to testify before the Madlanga Commission on Monday, 22 September. He will respond to Mkhwanazi’s claims of undue influence in the disbanding of the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS political killings task team. Mkhwanazi was the commission’s first witness.
