EDITORIAL | Do we need a permanent Madlanga commission?

President Cyril Ramaphosa is applying his mind to a request from the Madlanga commission to extend its hearings.

We hope he doesn’t think on it for too long, because there is no good reason to reject the request. It would be a blow to justice if the commission was unable to fully complete its inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.

Public hearings are scheduled to conclude on July 31 and the commission is expected to submit its final report by August 31. That is a high pressure race against time that is unlikely to benefit anyone other than those who seek to dodge difficult questions at the commission and avoid accountability.

While commissions are by nature costly, this particular one has arguably offered greatest value for money (its budget is around R147m). The level of deep-seated corruption and shenanigans that have come to light through testimony — from the highest echelons of the police to the lowest — is staggering.

Action against those implicated has also been swift. Heads are already rolling, helped by Ramaphosa’s decision, when he established the commission, to direct the police ministry to create a dedicated investigative unit to immediately act on claims and evidence emerging from the proceedings. That was a crucial move.

Among those arrested so far are national police commissioner Fannie Masemola, crime intelligence boss Maj-Gen Feroz Khan, Gauteng Hawks boss Maj-Gen Ebrahim Kadwa, head of the police health and wellness magazine Maj-Gen Busisiwe Temba, forensics head of crime scene management Brig Rachel Matjeng, organised crime unit member Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla and the city’s metro police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi. And the list goes on ...

This month is a year since the commission was established. Considering the scope of the job at hand, what has been revealed during this time is nothing short of mind-bending.

We have seen first hand how easily our guardians of safety and security can be corrupted into giving away contracts with an overseas trip here, a beach holiday there and a few designer bags stuffed with cash.

Considering that the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture took almost five years, the truth and reconciliation commission seven years and the Seriti commission into the arms deal four years, South Africa certainly seems to be getting bang for its buck with Madlanga.

Proper, credible law enforcement is the cornerstone of a successful democracy. Without it, criminals will infiltrate every sector of society and bring the country to its knees. We have seen first hand how easily our guardians of safety and security can be corrupted into giving away contracts with an overseas trip here, a beach holiday there and a few designer bags stuffed with cash.

So the only real question Ramaphosa should be seized with now is how much longer to give the commission. Because while so much has already been revealed, one gets the impression that much more malfeasance lurks just under the surface, waiting to be exposed by those bullish evidence leaders.

Perhaps the Madlanga commission, or something similar, should operate on a permanent basis. It would be a haven for whistleblowers and a constant reminder to those who hold the keys to the state purse that they are being watched, and that they too will find themselves in the hot seat, dabbing the sweat off their foreheads with a soggy tissue, if they ever turn rogue.