South Africa: Taxi Bosses Furious Ramaphosa Spared Mchunu

Taxi bosses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng say Mchunu should have been fired and stripped of his salary and benefits.

They believe the police are deeply infiltrated by criminals and accuse Ramaphosa of not doing enough to stop the violence.

Taxi drivers and owners across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are furious that President Cyril Ramaphosa only placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave instead of firing him.

Many say Ramaphosa missed a chance to act firmly against police-linked criminal syndicates.

Ekurhuleni taxi bosses said the president should have shown strong leadership, like KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who has taken bold steps against crime.

He said the taxi industry is one of the hard hit by a syndicate of criminals that kill and hurt even innocent commuters in the province.

"We had hoped that the President would address such in his speech. Mkhwanazi is showing action. That's what we need. Commissions don't stop killings. I am disappointed," said an Ekurhuleni based taxi boss.

Thulasizwe Biyela, a taxi operator from Ladysmith, said Mchunu must lose everything -- including his government car and salary -- until the investigation is over.

"I'm glad the President removed him," said Biyela. "But he must go back home and look after his cattle. No perks, no salary. Let him feel it."

Another taxi driver, Siyabonga Dumakude from uMsinga, said special leave is not punishment.

"This is a joke. Mchunu still gets his benefits. He should have been fired and replaced immediately," said Dumakude.

Mchunu's leave comes after Commissioner Mkhwanazi dropped bombshell allegations that a criminal syndicate has infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence services in South Africa.

He accused Mchunu and other top police officials of interfering with sensitive cases and colluding with a murder-accused businessman to dismantle the Political Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal.

He also said the task team in Gauteng found that a powerful drug cartel was operating with help from police, prosecutors, and politicians.

In his address, Ramaphosa said these claims raise serious concerns about the country's security and rule of law. He warned that if proven true, they could destroy public trust in the police.

Mchunu has denied wrongdoing. He claimed a controversial R300-million tender was signed before he became minister, and he was the one who cancelled it and called for an audit.

Read the original article on Scrolla.