Ramaphosa said he’d repair the criminal justice system - he failed
The article criticizes South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to fulfill his promise to reform the country's criminal justice system. It highlights a series of controversial appointments and suspensions within the National Prosecuting Authority and police leadership as evidence of this failure.
Why it matters
It underscores the ongoing governance and institutional integrity challenges in South Africa, which directly impact the country's political stability and rule of law.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has always claimed that he wanted to rebuild the criminal justice system. The claims against Investigative Directorate Against Corruption head Andrea Johnson are the final nail in the coffin of his promise. He has failed, partially because of his own actions and inaction … and probably blown the best chance South Africa had of a working criminal justice system.
When Cyril Ramaphosa was elected President on the Friday after former president Jacob Zuma’s Valentine’s Day resignation in 2018, it was the end of a momentous week.
He promised at the time, and several times since, to repair the criminal justice system. In particular, he promised a departure from the days of State Capture, when people in the leadership of the SAPS and the NPA used their powers to help people, including Zuma, steal from the state.
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