President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday the lifting of General Fannie Masemola’s suspension and his immediate return as head of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The announcement, which follows the dropping of charges against General Masemola, marks a development long in the making. For many South Africans who have eagerly awaited his return, this represents more than the reinstatement of a senior police official. It signals renewed hope in the country’s ongoing battle against crime and criminality.
At a time when public confidence in the police appears to have dwindled, largely due to persistent crime, allegations of corruption and questions about the integrity of some within law enforcement, General Masemola’s return presents an opportunity to restore public trust.
For many, General Masemola remains a beacon of hope, a figure whose leadership is expected to strengthen crime-fighting efforts, restore discipline and accountability, and reclaim the dignity and credibility of the South African Police Service.
However, his return must be accompanied by decisive action. South Africans are not merely looking for a change in leadership; they are yearning for a police service that is effective, professional, accountable and uncompromising in its fight against crime.
Ultimately, the true measure of General Masemola’s return will not be the excitement surrounding his reinstatement, but whether his leadership translates into tangible improvements in public safety and restores the confidence of ordinary South Africans in the men and women entrusted to protect them.
Over the past couple of months, South Africa has witnessed significant breakthroughs in the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, with major drug busts across the country. By my own estimates, the combined value of these seizures could exceed R1 billion. Among the most notable operations is the reported discovery of drugs worth approximately R600 million in Musina, Limpopo.
These breakthroughs demonstrate the dedication, determination and hard work of the brave men and women in blue who continue to confront criminality, often under extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances.
South Africans, regardless of race, colour or creed, are waiting with bated breath for more breakthroughs of this magnitude. Our people are desperate to see a police service that commands respect from law-abiding citizens while instilling fear in the hearts of criminals.
We must always remember the powerful words attributed to Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi: “Criminals and police cannot be friends.”
These words should serve as a guiding principle for every member of the South African Police Service. There can be no friendship, compromise or collaboration between those entrusted with enforcing the law and those determined to undermine it.
However, while we celebrate these major drug busts and the discovery of illegal drug laboratories, we must also recognise that the success of our criminal justice system cannot be measured by arrests and seizures alone. It must equally be measured by successful prosecutions, convictions and the dismantling of criminal syndicates.
The same energy, determination and publicity accompanying these discoveries must be sustained throughout the investigation and prosecution processes. South Africans deserve to know who is behind these sophisticated drug operations, who finances them, who protects them and how these networks have managed to establish themselves within our borders.
We cannot afford a situation where major drug busts dominate newspaper headlines and television bulletins, only for the cases to disappear from public attention without meaningful accountability.
The masterminds behind these criminal enterprises must be exposed, prosecuted and, where found guilty, subjected to the full might of the law.
Equally concerning is the question of what happens to the confiscated drugs after these highly publicised operations.
South Africans have heard disturbing allegations and testimony before the Madlanga Commission concerning the handling of drugs and other evidence in police custody, including concerns about exhibits allegedly disappearing while entrusted to law enforcement authorities.
During General Masemola’s absence, we have witnessed a deeply disturbing escalation in gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), alongside other serious crimes that continue to terrorise our communities.
The recent tragic events in the City of Ekurhuleni, where the bodies of women were reportedly discovered in horrifying circumstances, some partially undressed, serve as a painful reminder of the dangers confronting women in our society. It was a dark and devastating week, not only for the affected families but for South Africa as a whole.
Families have been left shattered, communities traumatised, and a nation once again forced to confront the painful reality that women continue to live under the constant threat of violence.
These incidents demand more than statements of condemnation. They require decisive action, thorough investigations and an unwavering commitment from law enforcement to ensure that those responsible are arrested, prosecuted and, where the evidence establishes their guilt, convicted.
The brutality of these crimes has once again reignited the national debate about whether South Africa should reconsider the reintroduction of the death penalty. While this remains a complex constitutional, legal and moral question, the growing public frustration cannot simply be dismissed.
We live in a country where an increasing number of citizens believe that criminals enjoy greater protection and rights than ordinary, law-abiding South Africans. Whether this perception is entirely justified or not, the continuing levels of violent crime have undoubtedly contributed to the erosion of public confidence in the criminal justice system.
Criminals appear to be running amok, terrorising communities and robbing ordinary South Africans of their freedom, dignity and peace of mind.
General Masemola’s return should therefore mark a renewed commitment to visible policing, intelligence-driven operations, stronger detective capabilities, improved community policing and decisive action against organised criminal networks.
Police officers must be empowered, properly resourced and held accountable. Those who serve with dedication and integrity deserve recognition and support, while those who undermine the dignity of the uniform through corruption, negligence or criminal conduct must face the consequences.
South Africans are not demanding miracles. They are demanding a police service that is responsive, professional, courageous and committed to protecting the lives of those it is constitutionally mandated to serve.
The fight against crime cannot be won through political speeches, occasional high-profile operations or promises that are never translated into action.
The women of South Africa deserve to walk freely without fear of being raped, assaulted or murdered. Children deserve to grow up in safe communities. Workers deserve to travel to and from their places of employment without fearing for their lives. Families deserve the peace of mind that their loved ones will return home safely.
Above all, law-abiding South Africans deserve to enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution without living under the constant threat of criminal violence.
The criminals must fear the consequences of the law, rather than ordinary citizens fearing the criminals.
It requires consistent leadership, operational discipline and accountability.
As General Masemola returns to the helm of the South African Police Service, we shall watch with keen interest to see whether his return will usher in a renewed era of decisive leadership, intensified crime-fighting efforts and meaningful change, or whether it will simply be business as usual.
Our sincere plea is that he must not fail the people of South Africa this second time around. The expectations are enormous, the challenges are daunting, and the patience of ordinary South Africans has been stretched to its limits.
General Masemola has an opportunity to restore public confidence in the police, rebuild the dignity and integrity of the institution, and demonstrate that no criminal is beyond the reach of the law.
History has presented him with another opportunity to lead. It is now upon him to rise to the occasion and leave behind a powerful, lasting legacy that future generations of South Africans will remember with pride.
THABISO TEFFO IS A CIVIL SERVANT WRITING IN HIS OWN CAPACITY.
