State Capture reloaded: Top cops, ministers, and the myth of a clean government - Ivo Vegter

Key topics:

• Police minister Senzo Mchunu accused of links to criminal underworld

• Ramaphosa’s state capture promises contradicted by ongoing corruption

• SAPS leadership faces claims of political interference and misconduct

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By Ivo Vegter*

Bombshell accusations levelled at police minister Senzo Mchunu demonstrate that one way or another, the state remains captured at the highest levels.

On 16 August 2021, almost four years ago, president Cyril Ramaphosa said that state capture “was brought to an end”, and “the era of state capture is over”.

A year later, he took to the airwaves to drone about “the work that has already been done, to give effect to the [State Capture] Commission’s recommendations and forever bring an end to state capture in our country”.

At every State of the Nation Address, the Cheshire Cat grin Ramaphosa flashes at the nation has assured us that state capture is being dealt with, and South Africa’s governing institutions are being rebuilt.

In 2018, Ramaphosa said: “Amasela aba imali ka Rhilumente mawabanjwe (Thieves who are stealing public funds should be arrested and prosecuted).”

In 2019, he said: “The decisive steps we have taken to end state capture and fight corruption … are achieving important results.”

In 2020, he said: “We have acted decisively against state capture and fought back against corruption.”

In 2021, he told us: “There has been great progress in turning around law enforcement bodies.”

In 2022, he said: “We must now do everything in our power to ensure that it never happens again.”

In 2023, he said: “The recommendations of the [State Capture] Commission are being implemented … so that … state capture is never allowed to occur again.”

In 2024, he said: “Our first priority was to put a decisive stop to state capture, to dismantle the criminal networks within the state and to ensure that perpetrators faced justice. … We appointed capable people with integrity to head our law-enforcement agencies, government departments, security services and state companies.”

And: “Great progress has been made in bringing those responsible for state capture to justice. More than 200 accused persons are being prosecuted. More are under investigation.”

In 2025, he said: “Through partnership, we … rebuilt our country in the wake of state capture.”

Very South African

And yet, here we are.

Ramaphosa is out of the country, exhausting the Air Force budget for private charter flights because his presidential business jet, Inkwazi, has not been properly maintained. How very South African!

At a BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, he is pretending that South Africa is the equal of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Nothing more South African than delusions of grandeur.

While the mouse is away, the cats will play.

Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala is a tender fat cat who has been the subject of an extended series of exposés by investigative journalist Jeff Wicks of News24 over allegations of collusion, fronting, and fraud, in a cancelled R360 million tender.

The case implicates multiple senior SAPS officials in corruption. Matlala is also on trial for a botched hit on his ex-girlfriend, and declined bail for his own safety. How totally South African!

Now, the provincial police commissioner in Kwazulu-Natal, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has instituted criminal proceedings against police minister Senzo Mchunu, claiming, inter alia, that Matlala paid off Mchunu to disband a task team focused on political killings, which was investigating Matlala.

He claimed that senior SAPS officials, including deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, were in the pockets of the criminal underworld, and alleged high-level political interference in police investigations.

All of this is so South African that the barrage of newspaper headlines exposing this sort of corruption blurs into a repetitive background beat. The amounts change. The names change. But the disturbing rhythm of the corrupt country does not.

Innocent until proven guilty

Needless to say, everyone, including Mchunu, denies everything. Mchunu is outraged that his integrity, and that of the SAPS, could ever be questioned, and threatened to take action against Mkhwanazi. Again, very South African. Innocent until proven guilty!

The same Mchunu, in a separate development, told Parliament that four convictions for state capture cases constituted a high conviction rate. No wonder everyone who matters remains forever innocent.

From his luxury hotel in Rio, Ramaphosa said the matter would receive his highest priority attention upon his return.

In the meantime, he said: “The trading of accusations and counter-accusations threatens to undermine public confidence and sow confusion. Furthermore, these actions damage the unity and focus of the police.”

Ramaphosa wants Mkhwanazi to shut up. He is worried about what all the publicity does for the image of the SAPS. This isn’t how they do things in the ANC. They’re supposed to be disciplined and loyal. They’re supposed to keep things quiet, and use the “proper channels”, handle matters internally, and not speak to the media.

All this does is reconfirm that South Africa remains a gangster’s paradise.

Party unity

Seven years into Ramaphosa’s presidency, we can count the convictions for state capture on one hand. Case after case brought by the National Prosecuting Authority falls apart in the courts. Tender kingpins and organised crime syndicates still have direct lines to the highest echelons of South Africa’s safety and security institutions.

The age of state capture is not over. Ramaphosa prioritises ANC party unity over acting against state capture. If he looks spineless and ineffective, that’s because he is, and he doesn’t care, because he won’t risk splitting the party.

State capture isn’t over. It isn’t even on pause. As long as the ANC gets to call the shots, South Africa will remain a gangster’s paradise.

*Ivo Vegter is a freelance journalist.

This article was originally published by Daily Friend and has been republished with permission.