The selective bravery of the ANC regarding Mchunu and Masemola
The ANC says police commissioner Fannie Masemola should have resisted Senzo Mchunu’s directive on Crime Intelligence appointments. But if the instruction was unlawful, accountability cannot stop with the official who received it. The question is why the party’s demand for courage appears to weaken when responsibility travels back to the minister who issued the instruction.
The ANC has been vocal about unlawful political instructions, but its stance appears selective. During discussions on a committee report about allegations from Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, ANC MPs argued that National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola should have resisted Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's order to stop appointing people in Crime Intelligence.
ANC MP Khusela Sangoni suggested the committee should show that accounting officers can resist political pressure. However, the ANC seems to have a double standard, focusing on Masemola while downplaying Mchunu's role. Masemola claimed that Mchunu did not consult him before instructing the disbandment of the task team and that he sought reasons from Mchunu.
The committee's report should hold both accountable, but it cannot credibly focus solely on the recipient while ignoring the source of the unlawful instruction.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
