Al-Qalam 
Shocking revelations of organised crime inside the Government have rocked South Africa. These kingpins must be brought to book. No one is above the law, says Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar.
Following the exposure of widespread corruption amongst some senior Government officials, there has been widespread calls for transparent investigations against the Minister of Police, the National Police Commissioner, and all senior SAPS generals named in the damning report.
One such call for such an investigation came from prominent Islamic scholar, Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar who pointed out that those mentioned in the damning report “must be compelled to testify under oath before Parliament”.
He told Al-Qalam that “not even those in uniform or political office are above the law” and that they must answer to the people about the serious allegations made against them.
“South Africa stands at a perilous crossroads. The shocking revelations now surfacing around political interference, systemic corruption, and the deliberate sabotage of the SAPS Political Killings Task Team have laid bare not only a crisis of governance but a profound erosion of moral and ethical leadership within our democratic institutions.
“These disclosures have rightly been described as one of the most serious crises to confront our post-apartheid state. They demand an urgent, coordinated, and morally courageous response from all sectors of society”.
He said the allegations, which include the deliberate dismantling of the Political Killings Task Team, obstruction of justice, and the shielding of high-ranking officials allegedly connected to organised criminal networks and political assassinations, suggest a brazen abuse of power at the highest levels of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“These are not mere bureaucratic irregularities. They constitute a deliberate undermining of the rule of law, an assault on the very institutions meant to uphold public trust and accountability. If left unchecked, this institutional sabotage will continue to threaten the safety of ordinary citizens, activists, and communities already exposed to chronic violence, particularly in areas like KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape Flats.
“In recent days, the picture has become even more alarming. Senior police officials, including Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have come forward with public testimonies confirming political interference, internal sabotage, and an entrenched culture of impunity. Their allegations have sparked national outrage and revealed the urgent need for structural reform.
“Since, 6 July 2025, the situation has grown even more alarming. Senior police officials, most notably Mkhwanazi, have publicly made serious allegations pointing to political interference, internal sabotage, and a pervasive culture of impunity within the police service. These claims, though yet to be fully tested, have sparked widespread public alarm and underscored the urgent need for transparent investigation and structural reform”.
Imam Omar said, as people of faith and as moral custodians of public life, we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice.
“Our ethical and civic duty, rooted in the Quran to promote what is just and life-affirming and resist what is harmful and unjust (al-amr bil-maʿruf wa-n-nahy ʿan al-munkar) compels us to speak the truth, to confront injustice with wisdom, and to advocate for those whose lives are being destroyed by this toxic convergence of organised crime and state complicity.
“We therefore call upon the Parliament of South Africa to exercise its full constitutional authority and urgently establish a parliamentary inquiry into the Mkhwanazi/Sibiya/Mchunu revelations. This inquiry must be independent, transparent, and fully empowered to:
- Subpoena relevant documents and testimony,
- Recommend criminal prosecutions, and
- Demand full accountability from those implicated.”
He said the inquiry must be conducted through the appropriate parliamentary mechanisms, including the Portfolio Committee on Police, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), and other relevant oversight bodies. The Minister of Police, the National Police Commissioner, and all senior SAPS generals named in the allegations must be compelled to testify under oath before Parliament. South Africans deserve to hear the truth, unfiltered and unspun.
In the meantime, he added, the leadership of SAPS must act decisively without delay to restore institutional integrity and cooperate fully and unequivocally with all legal and parliamentary proceedings or investigations.
“We must never forget the human cost of systemic failure. In communities like Mitchells Plain, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Westbury, KwaMashu, Zwide and Motherwell, the collapse of justice is measured not in headlines but in funerals.”
Imam Omar said this was not merely a policing failure. It is a moral and ethical emergency, a test of our democracy’s soul and our collective humanity. “Community Police Forums (CPFs), religious institutions, advocacy groups, and ordinary citizens must rise to meet this moment. In this spirit, let us rise, not in fear or vengeance, but in moral clarity and courageous solidarity.
Let us reject the cynicism that says nothing will change. Let us reclaim the ethical heart of our democracy. As Muslims, we are constantly reminded of the sacredness and sanctity of every human life (Q5:32) “And we are charged to stand firmly for justice, even when it is difficult.”
