The recent revelations before Parliament, including testimony by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have exposed alarming evidence of criminal collusion within South Africa’s law-enforcement agencies.
The disclosure that a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer was implicated in assisting a murder accused businessman through the misuse of state systems, alongside mounting reports of SAPS and JMPD officers arresting one another, confirms what communities have long feared: the system entrusted to protect and serve is deeply compromised.
A PATTERN OF JOINT CRIMINALITY
The unfolding cases illustrate a disturbing pattern of cooperation between corrupt individuals operating within both SAPS and JMPD structures. These acts of collusion including manipulation of investigations, obstruction of justice, and the leaking of sensitive operational information undermine the rule of law and threaten every effort to combat organised crime, illegal mining, and violent offences across Johannesburg and beyond.
As the ActionSA Whip of the Public Safety Committee, I affirm that criminality within the JMPD will not be tolerated, concealed, or downplayed. The Department’s Internal Affairs Unit must act decisively and transparently to identify, investigate, and suspend any officers implicated in wrongdoing. The integrity of our metropolitan police depends on its ability to police itself with courage and honesty.
Furthermore, any form of political interference in ongoing investigations must be exposed and condemned immediately. Accountability must apply equally whether the interference comes from within law-enforcement ranks or from political office.
ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
It must be noted that several additional investigations are currently underway, which may intensify the spotlight on criminal activity and corruption within JMPD and its Tactical Response Unit (TRU). These probes are expected to result in further suspensions of implicated members as evidence emerges. As ActionSA we will continue to monitor all developments closely to ensure that every official found complicit faces the full consequences of the law.
A CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND SYSTEMIC REFORM
It is imperative that Parliament, IPID, and municipal oversight bodies coordinate their investigations to ensure no case is suppressed and no suspect shielded. The credibility of both SAPS and JMPD will rest on their willingness to confront corruption within their own institutions. Law enforcement cannot clean the streets while turning a blind eye to rot within its own walls.
THE STAKES FOR THE PUBLIC
If these issues are ignored, public trust in law enforcement will collapse. Communities will lose faith in formal policing, paving the way for vigilantism and further lawlessness. The fight against corruption is not only about punishing wrongdoers it’s about restoring the moral authority of the state and rebuilding the social contract between citizens and those sworn to protect them.
Now more than ever, South Africa needs its law-enforcement agencies to stand on the side of justice united, accountable, and free of political manipulation.
Law Enforcement Corruption Exposes a System in Crisis
The recent revelations before Parliament, including testimony by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have exposed alarming evidence of criminal collusion within South Africa’s law-enforcement agencies.
The disclosure that a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer was implicated in assisting a murder accused businessman through the misuse of state systems, alongside mounting reports of SAPS and JMPD officers arresting one another, confirms what communities have long feared: the system entrusted to protect and serve is deeply compromised.
A PATTERN OF JOINT CRIMINALITY
The unfolding cases illustrate a disturbing pattern of cooperation between corrupt individuals operating within both SAPS and JMPD structures. These acts of collusion including manipulation of investigations, obstruction of justice, and the leaking of sensitive operational information undermine the rule of law and threaten every effort to combat organised crime, illegal mining, and violent offences across Johannesburg and beyond.
As the ActionSA Whip of the Public Safety Committee, I affirm that criminality within the JMPD will not be tolerated, concealed, or downplayed. The Department’s Internal Affairs Unit must act decisively and transparently to identify, investigate, and suspend any officers implicated in wrongdoing. The integrity of our metropolitan police depends on its ability to police itself with courage and honesty.
Furthermore, any form of political interference in ongoing investigations must be exposed and condemned immediately. Accountability must apply equally whether the interference comes from within law-enforcement ranks or from political office.
ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
It must be noted that several additional investigations are currently underway, which may intensify the spotlight on criminal activity and corruption within JMPD and its Tactical Response Unit (TRU). These probes are expected to result in further suspensions of implicated members as evidence emerges. As ActionSA we will continue to monitor all developments closely to ensure that every official found complicit faces the full consequences of the law.
A CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND SYSTEMIC REFORM
It is imperative that Parliament, IPID, and municipal oversight bodies coordinate their investigations to ensure no case is suppressed and no suspect shielded. The credibility of both SAPS and JMPD will rest on their willingness to confront corruption within their own institutions. Law enforcement cannot clean the streets while turning a blind eye to rot within its own walls.
THE STAKES FOR THE PUBLIC
If these issues are ignored, public trust in law enforcement will collapse. Communities will lose faith in formal policing, paving the way for vigilantism and further lawlessness. The fight against corruption is not only about punishing wrongdoers it’s about restoring the moral authority of the state and rebuilding the social contract between citizens and those sworn to protect them.
Now more than ever, South Africa needs its law-enforcement agencies to stand on the side of justice united, accountable, and free of political manipulation.