Columnist and scholar Jonny Steinberg has sharply criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa for what he describes as a “strategic but risky” political move that has largely backfired. In his recent News24 column, Steinberg argued that Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Senzo Mchunu as Minister of Police was intended to serve a dual purpose: to reform the deeply tainted South African Police Service (SAPS) and to quietly groom Mchunu as a possible successor to the presidency.
However, Steinberg warned that this strategy carried an obvious danger. By placing a presidential hopeful in charge of an institution riddled with corruption, Ramaphosa effectively set Mchunu up for inevitable attacks on his integrity — a risk that has since materialized.
According to Steinberg, Ramaphosa’s decision seemed calculated. On the surface, appointing Mchunu to head the police ministry gave the appearance of a bold reform move, signaling the president’s commitment to tackling corruption in one of South Africa’s most compromised institutions. Behind the scenes, however, it also positioned Mchunu as a high-profile political figure, potentially paving the way for him to succeed Ramaphosa as ANC leader.
“Ramaphosa appeared to be killing two birds with one stone,” Steinberg wrote. “He tasked Mchunu with the enormous job of cleaning up the police service, while at the same time raising his national profile.”
The police ministry has long been a political minefield. The SAPS has been plagued by corruption, factionalism, and political interference for years. By placing a trusted ally at the helm, Ramaphosa likely hoped to make progress on reform and consolidate his legacy. But as Steinberg notes, the plan has not unfolded as intended.
Ramaphosa and the Fallout from the Mchunu Appointment
Steinberg revealed that before Mchunu’s appointment, he consulted a group of international experts with decades of experience in post-Cold War police reform. Their advice, he said, was unanimous: assigning a presidential hopeful to lead a corrupt institution is a strategic error.
“They said that’s a terrible idea, because the one thing that a presidential candidate needs to protect is his reputation,” Steinberg wrote. “That is going to be his weak point going into a corrupt police force. You can be certain that he’s going to be attacked for his integrity by a dirty police force.”
Those predictions came true faster than expected. Not long after Mchunu disbanded the political killings task team, allegations of corruption surfaced against him. Even though no charges have been proven, the accusations alone have tarnished his reputation — precisely what the international experts warned would happen.
The fallout from the appointment has weakened both the police reform agenda and Mchunu’s political future. Instead of strengthening his position as a credible presidential contender, Mchunu now faces increased scrutiny and political vulnerability.
Steinberg argues that this misstep reflects Ramaphosa’s dwindling political authority. “I worry that Ramaphosa has two years to do this; after that, there’s a new ANC president,” he wrote. “His political authority is dwindling.”
This means Ramaphosa may no longer have the full leverage to push through the bold reforms that are required to address SAPS corruption. His decision to link political succession with a high-risk reform portfolio may have ultimately weakened both objectives.
Despite the political turbulence, Steinberg insists that meaningful police reform in South Africa is still possible — but only if the president gives his full backing to the police minister.
“Once that happens, it is possible to pick out decent police leaders, and there are, and to work with them and to give them courage to allow them to be brave,” he explained. “They are not going to be brave if they do not know that the police minister is strong and is backed by the President. If they doubt that, they’re not going to put up their hands, and then the police are unreformable.”
This highlights a critical point: while institutional reform is difficult, it can succeed if the political leadership is unwavering. For that to happen, Ramaphosa must take decisive steps to restore confidence in his administration’s commitment to fighting corruption within SAPS.
The timing of these developments is crucial. Ramaphosa’s presidency is entering a decisive period as the ANC prepares for internal leadership transitions in the coming years. If meaningful police reform does not take shape soon, the opportunity may be lost to a new party leader with different priorities.
Moreover, the controversy surrounding Mchunu weakens Ramaphosa’s broader reform agenda — one that was supposed to be a hallmark of his presidency. His image as a reformist leader is now under pressure, and political opponents are likely to use this appointment as evidence of strategic miscalculation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Senzo Mchunu as Minister of Police was meant to achieve two goals: tackle corruption in a compromised institution and elevate Mchunu’s profile as a potential successor. Instead, it has created a political storm, damaging both the police reform project and Mchunu’s standing as a credible future leader.
With only two years left to assert his authority, Ramaphosa faces an uphill battle to restore momentum to his reform agenda. The Mchunu appointment stands as a reminder that in politics, strategic risks can quickly turn into liabilities — especially when dealing with institutions as fraught with corruption as the South African Police Service.
If Ramaphosa hopes to leave behind a meaningful legacy, he will need to act swiftly and decisively to regain control of the reform narrative before time runs out.
Source- EWN
