The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the suspension of the Commission of Inquiry Into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption of Law Enforcement, referred to as the Madlanga Commission forms part of a deliberate attempt to stifle accountability.
The Commission which will be headed by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga was set to commence on 1 September has been suspended indefinitely due to procurement issues.
The Commission was established after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused senior politicians, including the Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, senior police officials, metro police, officials in correctional services, prosecutors, and other influential businesspeople of colluding with criminals. However, Mchunu denied the allegations.
EFF SLAMS SUSPENSION OF MADLANGA COMMISSION
Reacting to the latest development, EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the delay forms part of a deliberate attempt to stifle accountability, and that the establishment of the Madlanga Commission by President Cyril Ramaphosa “was nothing but a pretence at action, knowing very well that there was no intention of ever holding his close political ally and current Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu accountable for the allegations against him.”
Thambo said the pronouncement of the Commission was a political ploy to ease the anxieties of South Africans in the immediate, hoping that the nation would, in time, collectively forget the damning allegations against Senzo Mchunu and the law enforcement agencies, which were alleged to be captured by criminal networks and drug syndicates.
“The fact that this Commission, which was supposed to provide an interim report of its work in three months, has not had the necessary resources allocated to it is a testament to this fact,” he said.
RAMAPHOSA ACCUSED OF CHOOSING POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE OVER SA
Following Mchunu’s suspension Ramaphosa appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police. Many political parties criticised the decision and the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party approached the Constitutional Court to challenge the decision.
The EFF argued that the country’s Constitution makes no provision for “special leave” of a Minister and stipulates that a Minister can only be appointed or removed from office.
Notably, Senzo Mchunu continues to draw the benefits of a Minister of Police, which include security protection, state vehicles, a Ministerial salary, a Ministerial house and all related benefits that come with being a Member of Cabinet.
The EFF said not only has Senzo Mchunu avoided accountability, but he also continues to live a life of privilege because it comes at no personal expense to those who owe favour to Mchunu within the ANC.
“In light of this, we reiterate our call for the removal of Senzo Mchunu as a Member of Cabinet to protect the public purse and taxpayer money.
“The indefinite suspension of the Commission of Inquiry, which the EFF perceives as a deliberate refusal to support it by the Department of Justice, is yet another victory for the criminal networks and drug syndicates which are destroying our nation,” the party added.
Additionally, the EFF has urged Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga to step aside from the Commission.
“We request that he step aside from this disgraced and fake process, which will taint his legacy in the legal profession. It is clear that he is being used as a pawn in a process that seeks to undermine the frustrations of South Africans with crime, and his outcry at deliberate sabotage should be followed by a resignation.”
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE EFF’S SENTIMENTS REGARDING THE SUSPENSION OF THE MADLANGA COMMISSION?
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