Explainer: Here’s why Ramaphosa’s address on SAPS turmoil was delayed on Sunday night

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has been placed on leave of absence, as the president establishes a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate claims by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

IOL reported that during a media briefing held on July 6, Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu and senior police leadership are linked to a criminal syndicate with ties to drug cartels.

On Sunday night, Ramaphosa acknowledged that South Africans were concerned about corruption and the rise of criminality in the country.

However, Ramaphosa's address to the nation was scheduled to start at 7 pm but was delayed by more than 30 minutes. The Presidency announced on Thursday that Ramaphosa would deliver his address at 7 pm on Sunday.

Just four minutes before 7 pm on Sunday, the Presidency issued another advisory, stating that Ramaphosa would speak at 7:30pm. 

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, explained that the briefing was delayed because of different reasons - including the president having to call leaders of political parties in the Government of National Unity.

“We were late for two reasons. One, we decided to go through the text again, and make sure that the president is happy,” Magwenya spoke to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika at the Union Buildings after Ramaphosa’s address.

“More importantly, the president called some of the GNU leaders - not all of them, but he managed to get hold of some of them, to just share with them and to get them into his confidence on the announcement he was about to make. It was appropriate in the context of the partnership in the GNU for him to do so. 

“He spent a bit of time doing that, and then we had to do a technical test before we started,” he said.

IOL reported on Sunday that while Ramaphosa’s move to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave was applauded, his decision to establish a commission of inquiry into allegations regarding law enforcement agencies has been criticised. 

Political analysts said that the commission could be a waste of time and resources, like the Zondo commission, which was established to investigate the allegations of State Capture in 2019.

Ramaphosa announced his decision to establish the commission of inquiry and place Mchunu on special leave following allegations made by Mkhwanazi, who accused Mchunu of sabotaging a probe into political killings by seizing 121 open case files in March and pushing to disband the team tasked with the probe. 

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