Madlanga Commission revelations prove need to devolve policing powers, says AfriForum
AfriForum has reiterated its long-standing call for the devolution of policing powers following shocking revelations at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which have exposed deep-rooted corruption, political interference and criminal infiltration within South Africa’s policing structures.
According to AfriForum, these revelations confirm what the organisation has been warning about for years — that the centralised policing model is failing South Africans and that law enforcement must be brought closer to the communities it serves.
“The evidence emerging from the Madlanga Commission paints a disturbing picture of a police service crippled by internal politics and corruption,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety. “This is precisely why AfriForum has long argued that policing powers must be decentralised to provincial or regional level, where accountability and responsiveness can actually function.”
Testimony before the Commission revealed how senior police officials and officials in crime intelligence have allegedly been compromised by organised crime networks and how legitimate investigations were derailed through political interference.
“This shows that the current system — where all policing power is controlled from Pretoria — has become a single point of failure,” continues Broodryk. “Communities cannot rely on a national structure that is so easily influenced and so far removed from the realities on grassroots level.”
AfriForum argues further that devolving policing powers to provincial or regional governments would make law enforcement more transparent, locally accountable and operationally agile. The organisation believes that provincial governments and municipalities are best placed to identify their own security priorities, deploy resources more effectively and work together with local community safety structures.
“The collapse in trust between communities and the national police is one of the greatest threats to stability in South Africa,” adds Broodryk. “Decentralisation would allow citiens to take ownership of their own safety again — something that has been impossible under the current, centralised model.”
AfriForum is calling on parliament and the Department of Police to initiate the necessary legislative reforms to enable provincial policing structures with proper oversight mechanisms.
“The revelations at the Madlanga Commission are not just another scandal. They are proof that the system itself is broken. If we want to restore faith in policing and protect our communities, we must start by giving power back to the people,” concludes Broodryk.
