ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has cautioned that South Africa could have spiralled into chaos had President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed the explosive claims made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Speaking at the ANC Mpumalanga Provincial General Council (PGC) in Mbombela on Saturday, Mbalula said the president’s swift decision to establish the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was vital to maintaining stability.
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Mkhwanazi’s 6 July press briefing sent shockwaves across the nation after he accused senior politicians and high-ranking police officials of interfering in law enforcement and working with criminal syndicates.
In response, Ramaphosa appointed the Madlanga Commission, while Parliament formed an ad hoc committee to probe the allegations. “Many people will say, why didn’t the president just act? Why did he have to establish a commission? Now I want to explain why,” Mbalula told delegates.
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‘South Africa Could Have Burned Like in 2021’ – Mbalula
Mbalula warned that the gravity of Mkhwanazi’s allegations could have sparked unrest similar to the July 2021 riots, which left more than 300 people dead.
“On the 6th of July, we wake up, there’s a policeman addressing the nation and says here are the allegations,” he said. “There are many forces in society that wanted to elevate that thing to a form of revolt against the democratic state, like it happened during the Jacob Zuma unrest.”
He continued, “If the president of the country, according to the ANC, were to treat that matter anyhow as a by-the-way issue, this country was going to turn into flames.”
Mbalula said the ANC supported Ramaphosa’s decision to establish the commission, insisting that ignoring Mkhwanazi’s warnings could have eroded the rule of law.
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ANC Defends Inquiry, Urges Patience for Legal Process
According to Mbalula, the ANC recognised the seriousness of the allegations and the potential danger they posed.
“The president took a decision in his own wisdom, legally guided and as the ANC, we supported that because why the matter Mkhwanazi was raising was important,” he explained. “The things that he is raising border on this country becoming a banana republic and the fall of the rule of law.”
Mbalula emphasised that South Africans deserved answers but urged against rushing to conclusions, noting that the commission’s formation did not imply guilt for anyone implicated — including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is currently on special leave.
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“The principle of the law that the other side must be listened to exists for everyone,” he said. “I want you to be clear about it so that you don’t get hijacked in beer halls by drunkards who are telling you that this decision is detrimental.”
He added that the ANC was aware of efforts to paint the party as corrupt based on the actions of individuals.
“Our approach is that let evidence lead. ANC deployees must understand, follow and defend policy. Where individuals are found to have acted outside the parameters of the constitution and the law, the law must take its course. Where systems fail, we must fix them.”
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