“Madlanga Must Cascade to All Provinces” Says Vavi

By CHRIS MAKHAYE

The Madlanga Commission should be rolled out across all nine provinces and municipalities to root out corruption in every corner of South Africa. This is the view of veteran trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi, former COSATU general secretary and now secretary‑general of SAFTU.

Vavi made the call in a column praising the courage of Lieutenant‑General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. In that piece, he wrote that South Africa owes a profound debt to Mkhwanazi — not because he is flawless, but because he chose courage over fear, truth over silence. “It takes a rare kind of bravery to stand up when the system itself is compromised. To speak when silence is safer. To act when inaction is rewarded,” Vavi said, pointing to Mkhwanazi’s example as proof that integrity has not been extinguished in South Africa.

The Commission’s Findings

The Madlanga Commission, chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, was established in 2025 to investigate corruption, political interference and criminality within the criminal justice system. Already, it has recommended stronger independence for prosecutors, reforms to police leadership, and permanent anti‑corruption inspectorates. Testimonies have been damning: senior police officers accused of colluding with drug syndicates, politically connected figures shielded from prosecution, and billions lost through manipulated tenders. Whistleblowers have described intimidation and threats, underscoring the depth of the rot.

A Glimpse of a Deeper Rot

But Vavi warned that what has been revealed so far is only a glimpse — a crack in a much deeper, more terrifying reality. He argued that the Madlanga Commission must not remain a singular, isolated body. Instead, it should move from province to province, from department to department, from municipality to municipality, tearing away the veil wherever it goes.

“Let it go to every corner of this country. Let it listen. Let it expose. Let it name what so many already know but fear to say,” Vavi wrote.

His words carry weight when set against the numbers. The Auditor‑General’s 2023/24 report found R28 billion in irregular expenditure across municipalities, with only 38 out of 257 achieving clean audits. In KwaZulu‑Natal alone, more than 170 corruption cases linked to local government officials have been recorded since 2021, yet fewer than a third have led to sanctions.

The Tip of the Iceberg

“What we are seeing in Ekurhuleni, in Tshwane, and within the police is not the whole story,” Vavi warned. “It is only the tip of a massive, dangerous iceberg. Beneath the surface lies a system riddled with corruption, decay, and betrayal of the people.”

The police themselves are not immune. SAPS reported over 1,200 disciplinary cases involving fraud, bribery and procurement abuse in 2024/25. Procurement fraud alone drains billions annually from essential services, weakening trust and leaving communities without water, housing or electricity.

South Africa’s global standing reflects this malaise. On Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, the country scored 41/100 in 2025, below the global average and far behind peers like Botswana.

Courage in the Darkness

“This is not about isolated failures. It is about a crisis of the state itself,” Vavi said. And yet, in the midst of this darkness, individuals like General Mkhwanazi remind us that courage still exists. That truth, no matter how suppressed, will always find a voice.  TQ