Justice Comes With A Tag

Yesterday’s police briefing was anything but ordinary. Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, stepped up to the podium not in a suit, but in his Special Task Force combat uniform , a clear sign that this was no ordinary press conference. With a steely gaze and words that cut straight to the bone, Mkhwanazi declared himself “combat ready” and willing to die for the police badge. But what really caught everyone’s attention was the bombshell he dropped about corruption and interference within the police service itself.

At the heart of his address was a story of a specialised task team investigating politically motivated killings; an elite group that had uncovered links between drug cartels and some of the highest echelons of power: politicians, police officers, prosecutors, and businesspeople. Then, suddenly, this team was disbanded. Case files were withdrawn and shelved, investigations stalled. Why? Because, according to Mkhwanazi, powerful forces didn’t want the truth to come out.

He didn’t hold back in name  dropping, accusing senior officials of meddling with police operations and even suggesting that some were in cahoots with criminal syndicates. The message was clear: the fight against crime is being sabotaged from within. And if that wasn’t enough, he defended colleagues recently arrested in a crime intelligence scandal, insisting that attempts to destabilise the police leadership were underway. 

This wasn’t just a briefing; it was a call to arms. Mkhwanazi made it clear that the police are in “combat mode,” facing off against corruption and criminality at the highest levels. Peace, he said, is impossible between criminals and the police. His words were bold, his tone uncompromising.

What makes this all the more gripping is the sheer scale of the implications. If the police service itself is battling internal corruption and political interference, what hope does the ordinary citizen have? It’s a stark reminder that the fight for justice is not just against criminals on the streets, but also against those who abuse power behind closed doors.

The fallout from this briefing is still unfolding, but one thing is certain: Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi’s explosive revelations have opened a can of worms that South Africa cannot afford to ignore. It’s a wake-up call for transparency, accountability, and a policing system that serves the people; not political interests. But does anything serve the people today?

As we watch this story develop, one can only hope that the courage shown by Mkhwanazi inspires real change. Because in the end, a badge means little if the battle it represents is lost from within.