1008586841__20260325__0 FIGHTING: SA President Cyril Ramaphosa
Image: Archive
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says there has been progress in tackling corruption, but he acknowledges it remains a major problem in South Africa.
Ramaphosa made the remarks on Saturday while delivering closing comments at the party’s 14th provincial conference at Mbombela Stadium.
“We’re also seeing some progress in fighting corruption. Yes, corruption is still a major problem in our country,” he said.
He added that efforts have been established to root out corruption.
“However, efforts are being made to fight corruption, and the revelations coming through the Madlanga Commission and the ad hoc committee should not discourage us.
“Instead, we should see them as an opportunity to deal with the problems we have had in the police service and to get rid of the rot in our security cluster,” he said.
Ramaphosa said these efforts would help resolve issues within the police service, telling ANC members: “We are going to make sure that we have a police service and a security cluster that is fit for purpose and that our people can trust.”
The Madlanga Commission and the ad hoc committee were established shortly after KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing on 6 July 2025.
The ad hoc committee has since concluded its investigations.
Mkhwanazi alleged corruption, the shielding of criminal networks and political interference in the justice system.
He implicated several senior officials, including suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is currently on special leave, and suspended deputy national commissioner for crime detection Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.
Mkhwanazi said Mchunu wrote a letter in December 2024 demanding the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team, an elite SAPS unit investigating politically motivated killings.
The move has sparked fierce debate over alleged political interference in police operations.