JOHANNESBURG – Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has voiced concern over the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to launch a judicial commission of inquiry into alleged criminal infiltration of state security agencies, warning that South Africans are losing faith in the usefulness of such probes.
The commission comes after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused senior figures, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, of interfering in sensitive investigations and colluding with criminal networks. Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on leave with immediate effect.
Steenhuisen said while Mchunu’s removal was a necessary step, it raised broader questions about accountability. “We are now almost two years since the Zondo Commission’s final report, yet not one high-profile conviction has followed,” he said. “South Africans are tired of these commissions that yield no results.”
He also questioned why other ministers implicated in serious allegations, such as Minister Nkabane and Minister Simelane, remain in office.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba echoed the criticism, accusing Ramaphosa of acting unilaterally without consulting members of the Government of National Unity (GNU). He said the president’s primary concern appeared to be political survival rather than collective governance.
Mchunu has since issued a public statement, accepting the president’s decision and pledging his cooperation with the inquiry. “I stand ready to respond to the accusations and account fully and honestly to the people of South Africa,” he said.
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