The Zondo and Madlanga Commissions have shown that South Africa's accountability architecture has been compromised and criminal syndicates have taken full advantage.

The Zondo Commission delivered a damning verdict on Parliament's failure to hold the executive and state institutions accountable during the State Capture era. Instead of acting as a constitutional safeguard, Parliament too often stood by while corruption flourished, institutions were hollowed out and public trust was betrayed.

Years later, South Africans are entitled to ask whether much has changed. Let me explain.

For communities plagued by drugs, extortion, kidnappings and violent crime, the persistence of these problems is not an abstract policy issue. It is a daily reality. For taxpayers, the question is simple: Why do the architects and beneficiaries of organised criminality continue to enjoy apparent impunity?

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Recent allegations emerging from affidavits filed in litigation connected to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry provide a troubling basis for reflection.

The allegations suggest that certain political figures, business interests and senior law-enforcement officials may have cultivated relationships that blurred the lines between public office, political influence and private enrichment. If proven, they would reveal not isolated misconduct, but a system in which political power and law-enforcement authority were leveraged for mutual benefit.

Particularly concerning are allegations involving EFF leader Julius Malema, businessman Mohammad Sayed and suspended crime intelligence deputy head Major-General...