Umm Muhammed Umar

The South African Human Rights Commission has heard alarming details of how the police and the country’s intelligence agencies failed the country, before and during, last year’s July riots. Police Minister Bheki Cele further told the commission that it had been clear that violence and rioting would break out in KwaZulu Natal, ahead of the riots. The hearing is focusing on Gauteng, after having last year focused on KZN. The Institute of Security Studies Dr Johan Burger, discussed evidence that Minister Bheki Cele has been giving at the commission, on Radio Islam.

Dr Burger said that while there were many good men and women in the police service, nevertheless, as an institution, the organization was not performing. He said that whenever there was a crisis, (such as witnessed in July 2021) the cracks became visible, “And now with all the investigations into this, it, you know, it is just opened up for everybody to see.” Dr Burger added, “not just the police service, the whole intelligence community, the security structures in general, seems to be experiencing, you know, just one major crisis in terms of the structure, in terms of the calibre of the staff, the personnel, the equipment.”

Minister Cele had been aware that violence was brewing in KwaZulu Natal, but measures were not taken to prevent such. Dr Burger commented on the fears that the unrest would spread across the country, saying, “And because we saw that the security services were unable to contain the situation……. it’s like a veld fire: If it’s not stopped, it spreads very, very quickly, and out of control.” He expressed gratitude at the decision, eventually, to deploy the military, but was clearly concerned at the vulnerability to instigation that the situation had exposed. He said, “this whole incident was clearly instigated, it was organized…… but what is alarming about all of this is that apparently the intelligence agencies of this country were the only ones who didn’t know what was brewing.” Apparently, there were a number of business people, and even others, who were clearly aware that something was brewing.

While the minister had been aware of a security situation developing, as people had contacted him, according to Dr Burger, he saw this information as private. He said, “All you could do was use your common sense…. all indications were around the gatherings at Nkandla, just prior, just a few days, in the two three days, before that this burst out into flames.” Dr Burger asked, “If he knew, you know, why did he not tell the national commissioner about this?” Cele claimed that he had been unable to reach National Police Commissioner, Khehla Sithole. Sithole, in turn, claimed he had been in his own operations room, controlling the situation from there. Dr Burger asserted that there was a complete breakdown in communication between the minister and the national head of the police service.

Dr Burger said that in the past, the crime intelligence service, as well as the State Security Agency were always capable and had the necessary technological expertise and equipment to access sources for information, such as social media. He said, “and now they either don’t have it or don’t have access to it or, you know, doesn’t have the necessary expertise.” He warned, “It’s just part of the combination of the complete breakdown in crime intelligence…..”