President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the Media

Fellow South Africans, we are stepping up the fight against organized crime, corruption and violence. For this fight to be successful, it is vital that our law enforcement agencies are capable, ethical and effective. It is vital that they have the confidence of the public. Over the period, we have worked quite hard to rebuild our law enforcement agencies and security services in the wake of state capture, to restore the credibility and integrity of the police. We have taken measures to uncover and investigate allegations of wrongdoing within the ranks of the police and other institutions. These measures have been necessary to ensure accountability and to devise remedial action to prevent the abuse of office. The Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Mueni Madanga is investigating allegations of police collusion in organized criminal activity. The work of the commission, as we all know, is ongoing, and we look forward to its recommendations. As we all know, we have given the commission a tight timeframe, and we are very pleased that they are keeping to that tight timeframe and will deliver their report. In all these efforts, we have promoted respect for the rule of law and upheld the principle that law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies must be able to act without fear, favor or prejudice. It is this principle that informs our response to the appearance in the magistrate's court earlier this week of the South African Police Service National Commissioner, General Fani Masimula, on charges of contravention of the Public Finance Management Act. In consideration of the seriousness of these charges and the critical role that the National Commissioner of Police plays in leading the fight against crime, I have agreed with General Masimula that he be deemed to be on precautionary suspension pending the conclusion of the case. To ensure stability and continuity in the South African Police Service, I have appointed Lieutenant General Pulen Dyani, who is standing right next to me here on the left-hand side, as the Acting National Commissioner of Police. Lieutenant General Dyani is currently the Divisional Commissioner for Financial Management Services of the South African Police Service and has a long and distinguished career both in the South African Police Service and in other public institutions. Having been in the police service for close to two decades, she has extensive experience in policing, strategic management, financial management and governance. Lieutenant General Dyani has a reputation for professionalism as well as for integrity. And what is more pleasing, she is one of the key women who are in the leadership of our police service. I am confident that she has the qualities and the standing necessary to provide effective leadership to the South African Police Service during this challenging period. Lieutenant General Dyani will be supported by a strong team of experienced and dedicated police leadership throughout the country. She will lead a police service that, notwithstanding substantial challenges it is facing at the moment, is comprised of men and women who are committed to serving the people of this country for the good cause of justice. A key area of attention for the Acting National Commissioner and the police leadership as a whole is to urgently address weaknesses in the procurement system for goods and services in the police service. In the report of the Zondo Commission and through the proceedings of the Matyanga Commission, procurement has been identified as the source of corruption, abuse of office and instability within the police service. The Minister of Police will support the work that the South African Police Service leadership must now undertake to insulate procurement processes from any form of manipulation. This work will feed into the broader restructuring of procurement in the public sector that was announced in SONA. The Acting National Commissioner will be expected to sustain the momentum of our national fight against crime and corruption. There has been a reduction of contact crime over the past two financial years, largely due to the focus by the police on police visibility. Focus initiatives to address gender-based violence and femicide, as well as the implementation of the integrated crime prevention strategy, remain central to our ongoing fight against the scourge of violent crime. The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster has made great progress towards the adoption of an organized crime strategy, which as you well know is going to be led by General Muanazi, for which significant resources have been allocated from the departments in the cluster as well as from the Criminal Asset Recovery Account. Important steps have been taken with regard to organized crime, including gang violence, illegal firearms, illegal mining, drug trafficking, as well as kidnappings. These efforts have been strengthened by collaboration between the South African Police Service and the South African National Defense Force. The South African Police Task Team investigating matters arising from the Madanga Commission has already made significant progress, leading to a number of arrests. We commend the team and wish it a great deal of success going forward. As we embarked on the task of rebuilding our law enforcement agencies and security services, we knew that it would not be an easy process. It would be a very difficult undertaking. We have been guided at all times by the need for transparency, accountability, and respect for due legal process. It is understandably a cause of great concern for all South Africans that the National Commissioner of Police is in court facing the charges he is facing. However, we should not allow developments such as this to weaken our determination or diminish our ability to fight crime and corruption. We should not allow anything to destabilize the police service or undermine the morale of those entrusted to protect our people. We must hold firm to the values of our constitution and in this case, as in all others, allow the law to take its course. Minister Kachalia and Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Dyani will be holding a briefing soon to outline further actions that will be taken to stabilize the South African Police Service and strengthen its work. I wish General Dyani and the entire South African Police Service leadership well in the whole process of rebuilding our police service and wish them all the luck they will need in the fight against crime. That is the announcement we wanted to make, and it is about the appointment of the Acting National Commissioner of Police, General Dyani. Congratulations, General.

Three questions there. It's a speech.

If I remember the speech that we delivered. No, as I said, South Africans have reason to be concerned about the stability and the effectiveness of our police service. A number of South Africans have also asked whether it was even necessary, for instance, to have the Madanga Commission, and others have even said the Zondo Commission was entirely a useless effort. I'd like to correct those who think so and say that all these commissions have contributed a great deal to helping us rebuild, stabilize the police service, and repair the damage that has been done over quite a while, including the Falam Commission, which identified areas of great weakness when it comes to certain areas of policing like public policing. All that since that commission reported has been attended to. We've now set up a dedicated team of police who are focused on public policing and many other issues that the Falam Commission also recommended. With regard to Madanga and the Zondo Commission, much has been achieved. One of the things that people have said is that we spent a billion rand and what did it achieve? It achieved a great deal. We recovered almost 16 billion rand that was taken out of state coffers illegally. But in the course of doing so, we've also passed laws, we've sought to fix a number of systems, and the investigations are ongoing on the malfeasance that the Zondo Commission identified. So it can never be said that that commission was a waste of time and a waste of money. Similarly, with the Madanga Commission, it was absolutely necessary. Had we not appointed the Madanga Commission, the malfeasance that we are now uncovering would not have come out when it did, and that has really assisted us a great deal. It has also enabled us to immediately embark on processes such as vetting. We are now vetting everyone who is in the top hierarchy of the police, and that system of vetting in itself is an important restructuring and rebuilding process. Now with the processes that are underway, yes, affecting a National Commissioner once again, that means we've got to strengthen processes. For instance, that has led to the preferring of the charges against him. In the procurement space, the PFMA violations, yes, they are criminal in nature, but they are also on procurement and financial matters. It is only the court of law that will determine whether there is criminal intent or criminal guilt. I cannot stand here and say yes, they are. In full discussions with General Masimula, I said you will need to be on the sidelines while this matter is determined by the legal process. There is a choice of whether we do a board of inquiry or the criminal process, and the two are different processes. We've agreed to let the criminal process get underway, and in the intervening period he is put on suspension on a precautionary basis while we get General Dyani to act in that position. You may well say we've got too many people acting in positions. Yes, we do, and we are going to address that specific issue because there is an inherent weakness in people just continuing to act. But right now we are dealing with a problem that has befallen us, and we must address it, and we are addressing it as effectively as possible. It would have been irresponsible to leave the position unfilled, but now we have filled the position and the work will be done. The good thing, of course, is that having spoken to a number of these generals in the hierarchy of the police, they will all rally behind General Dyani, support her and work with her, and they will remain focused on the areas they are involved in. I expect that we will up the tempo now when it comes to fighting crime, when it comes to real focus on what needs to be done. Much as all this could affect the morale of the police, we will be doing everything we can, and the minister and the Acting National Commissioner will be addressing these matters and addressing the police as well. I would like South Africans to now know that we are taking action. We are moving forward. The police service needs to be rebuilt, it needs to be repaired, and it needs to be made fit and proper to be able to fight crime on an ongoing basis. We are on a journey. Yes, it's been debilitating, it's been very heartbreaking to hear all the things that we keep hearing in the commission. But we must go on, and we must make sure that we appoint people who are going to do the work, people who are professional, people who will have been properly vetted, and people of integrity.

Thank you. I've answered all five questions.

Thank you. I'm flanked by two people who are capable, who are going to do the work. The Acting Minister has already hit the ground running and is doing the work that needs to be done. I have no doubt in my mind that the commitment he is showing and demonstrating is up to doing the job and the task. Similarly, I expect General Dyani to do exactly the same. Obviously, we don't want anybody who is acting to act forever. We want people who are properly appointed. As you heard, I did say that I'd like the legal process to take its course. In this case, my dear sister, as you asked whether this will be an elongated process, I do not want it to be an elongated process. The Madanga Commission has been given a short timeframe, and that is soon coming to an end, which will enable us to do a fairly comprehensive rebuilding and restructuring of the police. I'd like all that to come to the fore and thereafter be able to take definitive decisions. It isn't too long to wait for the Madanga Commission. In a little while, maybe a month or two, we will have a conclusion thereof, and we can then take very clear and focused decisions. Similarly, I would like General Masimula's trial process to be fairly quick. Obviously, it's a matter that we can reconsider as we see the elongation of the period. So we're going to keep this on tab and focus on the delays and the processes that may unfold. It does not immediately rule out what other action or initiative I can take.

No, I waited until General Masimula appeared in court and we could see the charges and the summons. So that is done, and therefore that has enabled me to take the decision that I have taken. It had nothing to do with IDAC or whatever. IDAC is an institution that is independent, that takes decisions on whether to charge people or not, without any interference from my side or anyone who is in government. So they have taken their decision, and I never express a view on issues of the veracity of charges or not, because that is the court's task. I do not act as a court and will never do. We've appointed judges to adjudicate on matters, be they charges or whatever. They must adjudicate. They must then tell us on the basis of the evidence that they will have heard whether a person is guilty or not. So General Masimula must be allowed to go through that process. With regard to what we will do in the end, obviously some trials go on forever, and we will need to examine precisely where this is going to be able to determine precisely what needs to be done to stabilize the situation in the police service. So we will be keeping, as I said, a close eye on how this process moves forward. With regard to the constitutional court, it is the constitutional court's decision that will be announced, and I have no view on that. Whatever the court decides is what the court decides, and respect for our judicial system, respect for our judiciary, is sacrosanct and must be regarded as such. The other question, oh yes, whether Minister Munuo, I have said that I am waiting for the Madlanga Commission to conclude its work, and it is about to conclude its work. Once that work has been concluded and final findings have been made, then we will move forward. Obviously, everybody has findings. You have made your findings already, but you are not a judge. Anybody else has made their findings, and I want to wait for the findings that will be made by the judiciary that I have appointed. If you find that disappointing, I don't know how I can help you. But you have your own findings when you know what should be done. I won't even ask you to whisper to me. Time is of the essence. With the Madanga Commission, I did give them a very tight timeframe, and I repeat myself, I am rather pleased that the Madanga Commission is speeding ahead with its work and they have committed to giving a report quite on time. So let's wait for that, and then we move forward. I know you are impatient, and all of us are impatient. We want things to be done yesterday. So do I. But we've got to follow certain processes. I'm done.

Thank you so much. Nice to see you all.

Pardon?

Well, the acting commissioner with the minister are going to have an opportunity, as I said, to outline precisely how they are going to take the work forward. I know you want to hear her voice. Just have a little bit of patience.

You want to see me soon?

Thank you.

You will get another briefing from me soon.