IN AFRICA now: Political killings in South Africa, nothing new here!

In 2024, I reviewed a book penned by Mr. Greg Arde. The title of the book is  War Party- How the ANC’s political killings are breaking South Africa. The book was published in 2020. On a very cold Sunday morning in South Africa, General Mkhwanazi made explosive allegations about Mr. Mchunu’s “corrupt political endeavors”. 

With that said, political killings in South Africa are nothing new. The reporting on political killings is covered by the media, academic research, government reports and non-governmental organisations. The motives of the political killings stem from internal political party conflicts aka ‘’cadre deployment”, criminal governance, the taxi industry and corruption. According to a report published in 2024 by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) it documented 108% of targeted killings in South Africa. 

Why do we need to have this conversation about political killing?

We need to understand that the presence of political killings has an impact on our democracy. Our rule of law is undermined, processes and stability is compromised. Although political killings target specific provinces, they threaten to spread across the country. This means that the lives of innocent people will be taken. Again, as a country with a history of oppression, blood cannot govern a nation. 

On General Mkhwanazi 

The battlefield that is Kwa-Zulu Natal is officially unleashed. We are on allegations and will stay on the right end of the law here. 

My role here is to amplify the General’s voice and speak directly to the impact. 

Silence or to be silenced? In politics silence is a very dangerous concept. To a certain extent silence can be used as a voucher to spare your life. Silence can also be the cancer that spreads in your body, slowly destroying your cells. Whether sparing your life or slowly ending your life it can put one on life support. So you might as well have courage.

However, courage in politics comes with consequences. The courage to callout in political terms translates as an attack. Correction in a political context translates into probing. Probing is prohibited in politics because it insuanates that you don’t know your place and maybe need “reminding”. Politics reminds you with power and position that you have crossed your boundaries.

Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, a South African law enforcement official, made detailed claims and allegations about Mr. Mchunu.  The General did not only display an act of courage however, he is employed by SAPS to do his job. Whether the allegations are true or false he is on the job. The South African Police Services role is to combat, investigate and address crime in South Africa. 

Politics, corruption and law merge

The matters at hand are not the allegations made by the General.  The real issue however is who the claims are made against. This is because politics, corruption and law “breed” war when they merge. The case shifted from criminal to political by virtue of the defendants position in the political arena. Therefore, because the matter is of a political nature we are not certain of the outcome. 

When Politics, law and corruption merge a silent war breaks out.

Collapsing corruption begins at the top

Our country is in a position that cannot ignore the dire impacts of corruption. The truth is that corruption is not a system. Corruption is rather associated with the culture of entitlement. Corruption involves individuals who feel entitled to state resources that don’t belong to them. One of the ways in which we can end corruption is to stay true to the vision of South Africa.

In addition, begin to collapse it from the top where the state resources are held. This means that we need to courageously call out officials “allegedly” taking what belongs to the country. 

South Africans are waiting for accountability

South Africans loom with uncertainty of the future of their country. Conversations to explore other lands for a better standard of living are openly held on social media platforms. The loud cries of the children of South Africa are vivid. The comfort that South Africans need now is accountability. To take accountability of all the wrongdoings and revisit the mandate to restore our beautiful land.

Defend  and protect democracy 

The restoration of our land now demands us to forcefully defend and protect our democracy. The democracy that we fought for and lost lives to needs us now more than ever. If it means we poke a sleeping bear, let it be. 

The Generals life matters  

Salute, General Mkhwanazi, your courage is timeless. Your life reminds me of the public servants that love to serve. May God protect you and your family. 

God bless South Africa. 

Phiwe Mncwabe is storyteller, blogger and voice in Africa.

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