General Mkhwanazi cannot fix it all

We must come to terms with the fact that our country's crisis of violent crime is a symptom of deeper institutional dysfunction.

Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash

Recently, author and political economist Phumlani Majozi wrote an article in Politicsweb where he lauded the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS (South African Police Office), General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, for not just being a committed public servant whose leadership has been central to the ongoing fight against crime in the province, but also a courageous and patriotic figure for exposing the deep rot and corruption in the highest ranks of the police service. This rot is something many South Africans have long suspected and, in some ways, have come to accept as a key reason the police service is dysfunctional.

Majozi’s tone throughout is one of admiration, and it all builds up to his emphatic final line: “More Mkhwanazis in our law enforcement, please!” This line perfectly captures the praise running through the article. I want to start by saying that Majozi's praise is warranted. Mkhwanazi is a committed public servant, and I too respect his decision to blow the whistle by taking the nation into confidence about misconduct at the highest levels of the SAPS. Our police service desperately needs more individuals like him who are dedicated, competent, and willing to act in our best interests.

The limits of centralised policing and individual leadership

In these times of deep frustration and uncertainty, it is understandable why many of us see General Mkhwanazi as a heroic figure who can singlehandedly reverse the ongoing crisis of violent crime in our country. However, this hope, while emotionally compelling, does not reflect our reality. Despite his skills and dedication, the General alone cannot solve a crisis as complex and entrenched as this. The truth is that our crisis of crime cannot be overcome by the efforts of ethical and competent individuals alone. What is urgently needed is systemic reform that can fundamentally change the police service's structure and address the root cause of its dysfunction.

As it stands, our country has a single, national police force that is often defended in the name of fulfilling a constitutional mandate. However, this centralised, one-size-fits-all policing structure has failed to respond effectively to the diverse and urgent policing needs across the country’s different provinces.

Devolution as a solution

At the Free Market Foundation, one of the key solutions we propose to address this issue is the devolution of policing powers to provincial and local governments. This idea is central to our Section 12 initiative, a comprehensive blueprint for criminal justice reform in South Africa. Crucially, this devolution should happen with or without the consent of the central government, and it should ensure that provinces and municipalities can act decisively to meet their own policing needs.

Provincial and municipal governments must take concrete steps to establish their own policing structures, equipped with full detective, forensic, and ballistics capacity. This shift would directly address the chronic problem of case overload and inadequate detective resources. Currently, detectives in our country carry overwhelming caseloads of between 150 and 300 cases each, compared to around 10 per investigator in the UK. Moreover, the SAPS is severely understaffed, with a nationwide shortfall of approximately 8,600 investigators. Building local capacity is therefore essential to improving investigative quality and efficiency.

Tailoring crime responses to local realities

Devolution will also allow us to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to policing and develop tailored crime responses that are suited to the specific challenges faced in different provinces. For instance, the Western Cape continues to battle with gang violence, and yet our crime strategies and priorities are still set centrally in Pretoria, with little regard for this local reality. This lack of contextual focus has undermined the effectiveness of our policing efforts. Localised control would allow provincial and local governments to design and implement crime strategies that reflect people's needs on the ground, thus making policing more responsive and targeted.

Enhancing transparency and accountability

Finally, devolution can also enhance transparency and accountability in law enforcement. The General's revelations about interference and corruption at the highest levels of SAPS highlight a key weakness of centralised control, which is a lack of internal checks and public trust. When policing authority is concentrated at the top, oversight becomes limited and those in charge are shielded from scrutiny. Giving provinces and municipalities more control would open space for better oversight and create institutions that are closer and more answerable to the communities they serve.

This is the kind of systemic reform we need to work in tandem with committed public servants like the General. We must come to terms with the fact that our country's crisis of violent crime is a symptom of deeper institutional dysfunction. The centre can no longer hold, and we cannot afford to place our hopes solely in individual personalities. What we need is a police service rebuilt from the ground up, with a structure that reflects the realities we face. Systemic reform lays the groundwork for real and lasting change.

Ayanda Sakhile Zulu holds a BSocSci in Political Studies from the University of Pretoria and is an intern at the Free Market Foundation.