The ANC has hailed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence as a “courageous” and necessary step in confronting corruption at the highest levels of government. The praise comes in the wake of damning allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused Mchunu of meddling in police investigations, having ties to criminal syndicates, and dismantling the province’s Political Killings Task Team.
Announced on July 13, Ramaphosa’s move not only benched Mchunu but also launched a full-scale judicial commission of inquiry, led by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. The ANC, through spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, claimed the action signals a decisive effort to clean up state institutions and restore faith in law enforcement.
But not everyone is applauding. Opposition parties—among them the DA, EFF, and MK Party—have slammed the decision as a political half-measure. Critics argue that a leave of absence offers Mchunu a soft landing, shielding him from real accountability while still earning his ministerial paycheck. For them, only a full dismissal or criminal charges will show the President means business.
As the judicial inquiry begins, South Africa watches closely: is this the start of a serious clean-up—or another act in the theater of political damage control?
