Director’s Cut: Glynnis Breytenbach - “You can’t fix the rot gently. Fire them all and start over.”

In this explosive Director’s Cut interview, DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach tells Alec Hogg why South Africa’s criminal justice system remains deeply captured - and what it will take to clean it up. From her years at the NPA to her current seat on Parliament’s ad hoc committee, Breytenbach pulls no punches: corruption isn’t just at the top, it’s systemic, starved by design, and shielded by politics. Her message to those in power is blunt - act boldly, or the rot will consume everything.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Watch here.Listen here.BizNews Reporter.South Africa’s criminal justice system, long battered by corruption, political interference, and institutional decay, is now under the microscope like never before. Between the Madlanga Commission and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on police oversight, the country’s ugliest truths are finally being dragged into the light.And few are better placed to interpret it than Glynnis Breytenbach, the Democratic Alliance’s spokesperson on justice and one of the most respected prosecutors in South Africa before she entered politics. In a candid conversation with Alec Hogg, Breytenbach didn’t mince words about the state of the system she once served.“Corruption isn’t new,” she said. “Everyone who’s even mildly informed knows this has been going on for 15 years or more. The only difference now is that the spotlight’s finally on it.”Breytenbach sits on Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, which has until the end of November to make recommendations on how to fix the police and wider criminal justice system. Unlike the Madlanga Commission, which reports to the President, Parliament’s committee must produce actionable reforms for debate in the National Assembly.“We have a finite timeline,” she said. “The Madlanga Commission can take years. We have to deliver recommendations by year-end and make sure they’re implemented. South Africans are tired of endless reports that gather dust.”When asked if this was genuine reform or political theatre, Breytenbach didn’t hesitate. “This isn’t damage control. It’s about fixing what everyone already knows is broken. What the public needs to understand is that corruption has become systemic. It’s not a few bad apples. It’s the tree, the soil, the watering system - all poisoned.”She’s quick to clarify that most people working within the system are not corrupt. “The majority of prosecutors, police officers, and judges go to work every day and do their best under impossible conditions. But there’s an element of corruption that’s insidious and growing bolder. It’s not new, but it’s stronger now.”The problem, she says, lies as much in the structure as in the leadership. “The police service’s top ranks are either lame ducks or outright compromised. That’s not just dangerous - it’s unsustainable.”When Alec Hogg asked where the National Prosecuting Authority fits into all this, Breytenbach’s voice hardened. “The NPA should have sorted this out a long time ago. It’s been absent for 15 years. The rot started with Menzi Simelane’s appointment as National Director, and it went downhill from there. During the Zuma years, the NPA was completely captured. And we’re still paying that price.”She credits current NPA head Shamila Batohi for trying to clean up the mess, but she’s realistic about the limits. “It’s not for lack of trying, but she’s inherited a disaster. I can’t think of a single major organized crime or corruption case successfully prosecuted in the last decade. That says it all.”Breytenbach’s career in the NPA ended in 2012 when she refused to withdraw charges against politically connected figures. “Prosecuting is the best job in the world,” she said. “But only if you can do it honestly. Once you start prosecuting selectively or bowing to political pressure, it’s over. You can’t do it halfway.”She was suspended after insisting on pursuing cases the NPA wanted dropped. “They fired me for doing my job. But I’d rather be out than dishonest,” she said.Now, as a member of Parliament, she’s using her platform to push for reform. Her frustration with bureaucratic obstruction is clear. “When we ask direct questions in the committee, we get long-winded, meaningless answers. Everyone’s dodging, deflecting, avoiding. The truth doesn’t come from what they say. It comes from what they avoid saying.”Still, she sees the hearings as an opportunity. “This is a golden moment to shine a light on endemic corruption in the criminal justice system. It’s the abscess finally bursting. If we use this moment wisely, we can clean it out and start again.”But that clean-up, she warns, won’t be gentle. “You can’t fix the rot gently. You’ve got to fire them. Start over. There’s no nice way. It’s going to take bold action, leadership, and determination from the top of the NPA and the police. Yes, there’ll be consequences, there’ll be litigation, but it’s worth it. The alternative is worse — the rot keeps spreading.”Her estimate of how bad things are remains grim. “When I left the NPA, capture was about nine or ten out of ten. Today? Maybe eight. Still bad. Still systemic.”The deeper cause, she believes, is deliberate underfunding. “The criminal justice system is starved of resources — and that’s by design. If the police, prosecutors, and judges are underfunded, corruption flourishes. When you see poor service, understand there’s no budget. When prosecutions fail, there’s no budget. It’s meant to be that way.”She’s pushing for several Private Members’ Bills that would create an independent Anti-Corruption Commission, strengthen witness protection, and incentivise whistleblowers. “The private sector supports them, but politicians don’t - for obvious reasons. Supporting them is like signing your own prison sentence.”Whistleblowers, she said, remain the backbone of accountability. “It takes bravery. There’s always risk. But if ordinary South Africans don’t step up, this will never stop.”Despite her frustration, Breytenbach hasn’t lost hope. “These institutions can be fixed. I believe that completely. But we need bold, decisive action. We need to cut deep. My party has that political will. I’m not sure others do, because the risk for them is enormous.”So what would it take to bring back a functioning justice system? Her answer is simple, and typically blunt. “Fire them. Every single one who’s corrupt. Then start again. If you try to clean around them, the rot stays. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s leadership.”She pauses, her voice steady but firm. “South Africans need to understand - this isn’t going to be easy. But it’s the only way we survive.”

Director’s Cut: Glynnis Breytenbach - “You can’t fix the rot gently. Fire them all and start over.”

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