JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has slammed corruption, saying that it continues to rob the poor of much-needed resources.
He said public funds must be protected and used to improve service delivery.
Speaking during his budget vote on Tuesday before the National Assembly, Ramaphosa did not fail to mention the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, whose findings and recommendations he believes will bolster efforts in strengthening SAPS.
The Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, which is chaired by Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, was established after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's July 6 media briefing, wherein he made damning allegations against the criminal justice system.
He also claimed to have evidence of police involvement in high-profile crime syndicates.
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Mkhwanazi claimed that the rot runs deep, with law enforcement officers and high-ranking politicians aiding and abetting drug cartels, especially in Gauteng.
Ramaphosa said that following the submission of the Commission’s first interim report in December 2025, the SAPS, working with the National Prosecuting Authority, set up a special task team to investigate referrals arising from the Commission.
This task, he said, has begun its work in earnest and has already brought a number of cases to court.
"We must be unequivocal: public office is a public trust. Those who abuse public resources for private gain betray the Constitution, undermine development and steal from the poor. There will be no tolerance for corruption, regardless of position, status or political affiliation," Ramaphosa said.