Ramaphosa's decision for a commission of inquiry into police corruption justified, says Presidency spokesperson
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry into SAPS corruption claims on Sunday night.
Image: Kopano Tlape / GCIS
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has defended President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to institute a commission of inquiry into the state of security and police affairs in the country, stating that the president had no choice.
On Sunday evening, President Ramaphosa announced that he was instituting a commission of inquiry into allegations of criminal activity within the higher echelons of the South African Police Service (SAPS), which implicated the Police minister Senzo Mchunu. Mchunu has been placed on special leave pending an inquiry into the matter.
The announcement of the establishment of a commission of inquiry has been met with pessimism with opposition parties arguing that these commissions are costly, take too long and only have the power to make recommendations.
Speaking on Radio 702 on Monday morning, Magwenya acknowledged the public's disillusionment with commissions.
"I understand and appreciate the commission fatigue that has set in in our country. This is partly due to institutional inadequacies regarding speedy prosecutions and follow-ups arising from the conclusions of various commissions and the recommendations that follow."
However, he emphasised that in the Constitution, the power for the president to institute a commission remains. "There was no other option for the president; you could not have SAPS investigating itself," he added.
"In addition to the minister, Lieutenant General (Nhlanhla) Mkhwanazi raised issues of institutional integrity within SAPS, where the organisation is compromised in critical aspects. You could not expect SAPS to investigate, nor could you expect the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to take charge of the matter when they themselves have been implicated by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi. Therefore, the only viable option was the commission of inquiry," he said.
Magwenya also highlighted that this case demands public transparency, stating, "It would be difficult to have a panel operating behind closed doors".