Four years ago today, South Africa witnessed one of the most violent episodes of civil unrest since the dawn of democracy.
The July 2021 riots in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, left more than 300 people dead, caused an estimated R50 billion in economic damage, and exposed deep cracks in the country’s security apparatus.
Now, as the anniversary passes, those cracks remain — especially in crime intelligence, which insiders and experts say is still plagued by dysfunction, corruption, and internal power struggles.
This week, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi laid bare ongoing failures in the country’s justice system as South Africa marks the fourth anniversary of the riots that claimed more than 300 lives and cost the economy an estimated R50 billion.
DA parliamentary portfolio committee chair of police, Ian Cameron said that since the riots, crime intelligence (CI) has not improved in the province.
"It has not been beefed up since 2021, especially with the current controversy regarding management of the SAPS and many people being implicated in many different things. I cannot say with confidence that crime intelligence within the SAPS has been adequately increased," Cameron said.
A police source who spoke to IOL on condition of anonymity and who was on the frontline of the riots in 2021 said he believes that after the riots there was visible improvements due to pressure placed on the police's top brass.
However, the officer said that as internal factions grew within the police - in the years after the riots - so did the morale of the rank and file members
"High ranking officers made it dysfunctional as they used crime intelligence to fight internal battles to remove honest cops who were against them and who would not be part of their corruption as their intentions were to loot secret funds from CI," the officer said.
He went on to claim that they also used crime intelligence resources to unlawfully eavesdrop on politicians by high ranking police officers based at the KZN Provincial Headquarters.
"Crime intelligence is weak because funds were stolen. Now there is no money to pay informers to give info on organised crime syndicates," he added.
KZN violence monitor Mary de Haas told IOL that the province remains plagued by abnormally high levels of violence. "Highly sophisticated unknown forces are attempting to destabilise the province," said De Haas. "This is a warning, especially in light of the standoff between the provincial commissioner and the police minister."
De Haas also cited circulating messages alleging that Mkhwanazi should be left alone, or further unrest would erupt.
*The article was published by IOL News
