Brig Fanie Bouwer: Madlanga Commission - Don't pull the plug

South Africa's appetite for truth is being tested by something as mundane as a budget shortfall. With R123 million of R147 million already spent, Minister Kubayi has gone cap-in-hand to Treasury - and some are quietly suggesting the Commission should simply be wound down. Brigadier Fanie Bouwer argues the opposite: the deeper the inquiry digs, the bigger the rot appears. Senior police generals implicated. Gauteng and KZN in the spotlight. The Western Cape's 28s gang infiltration of SAPS management still unresolved. Stopping now wouldn't be fiscal prudence - it would be leaving the job half done at exactly the wrong moment..By Brigadier Fanie Bouwer.The Madlanga Commission should be allowed to continue its work and perhaps even widen its focus to other parts of the country. The truth is proving to be bigger than we initially thought.The work of the Madlanga Commission has already revealed that the problem of organised crime, criminal cartels and alleged corruption within parts of South Africa's criminal justice system is far deeper and more entrenched than the public originally realised.South Africans have been shocked by the extent to which senior police generals have allegedly become involved in corruption and criminal networks. It has once again confirmed the old saying that a fish rots from the head.The evidence heard thus far suggests that South Africa is not merely dealing with isolated incidents of corruption, but potentially with sophisticated and well-organised networks that have evolved over many years and may even have infiltrated state institutions. For this reason alone, the Commission's mandate should be extended.One of the most disturbing revelations to emerge is the apparent collapse of effective internal oversight and control mechanisms within the South African Police Service (SAPS). Restoring these mechanisms should be treated as a matter of urgency.Conventional policing methods and traditional criminal investigations are clearly inadequate when influential individuals, sophisticated criminal syndicates and possible protection networks within law enforcement and other state institutions are involved..Such networks often possess the resources, contacts and insider knowledge necessary to frustrate ordinary investigations and conceal the full extent of their activities.A judicial commission of inquiry possesses unique powers to compel testimony under oath, obtain documentation and integrate information from multiple state agencies and private institutions.Although the process may appear slow at times, it provides an opportunity to expose patterns of corruption and criminal collaboration that might otherwise remain hidden.The possible involvement of senior police generals in unlawful activities makes the situation particularly serious.When institutions responsible for enforcing the law themselves come under suspicion, the very foundations of the rule of law are threatened. The issue extends beyond the police and affects the credibility of the entire criminal justice system.The evidence before the Commission has thus far focused largely on alleged corrupt activities in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. However, these revelations may prove to be only the tip of the iceberg. It raises another important question: What might be happening in other provinces?In this regard, a significant judgment delivered by Judge Daniel Thulare in October 2022 also deserves renewed attention. Judge Thulare did not merely refer to individual corrupt police officers. He raised concerns about what he described as the possible infiltration of senior SAPS management structures in the Western Cape by organised crime groups, particularly the notorious 28s gang..These allegations were never fully investigated or satisfactorily resolved.If the Commission's work has revealed systemic problems in some provinces, there is a compelling argument that similar scrutiny should be extended elsewhere. South Africa cannot afford to assume that corruption and criminal infiltration are confined to a few isolated regions.Financial concerns should not derail the search for truth.In April 2026, Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi informed Parliament that her department did not have sufficient funds within its existing budget to fully finance the Commission's extended term. She confirmed that she had approached Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana for an additional budget allocation. By that stage, approximately R123 million of the original R147 million budget had already been spent.Against this background, it would be short-sighted to terminate the Commission prematurely for financial reasons before its work has been completed.The cost of the Commission must be weighed against the far greater cost that corruption, organised crime and state capture impose on the country.Every billion rand siphoned from the economy by criminal cartels, corrupt officials and organised crime syndicates costs the state far more than the funding required for a thorough investigation.National Treasury should therefore provide the resources necessary to enable the Commission to complete its work. This is not merely an expense; it is an investment in restoring public trust, strengthening the rule of law and protecting South Africa's democratic institutions.South Africa has already missed too many opportunities to eradicate corruption and organised crime at their roots. If the Madlanga Commission has uncovered indications that the problem is larger and more complex than originally suspected, the answer cannot be to stop the investigation. The answer is to continue until the full truth is known.South Africans deserve nothing less than a comprehensive accounting of how deeply organised crime may have penetrated the institutions tasked with protecting them. Every stone must be turned. The fight against criminal cartels, corruption and the possible compromise of law enforcement institutions cannot be fought halfway.The national interest demands that the Madlanga Commission be granted the time, resources and independence necessary to complete its work. The truth may be expensive to uncover, but South Africa can no longer afford the cost of leaving it hidden..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 every morning on weekdays. 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Brig Fanie Bouwer: Madlanga Commission - Don't pull the plug

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