South Africa: Ramaphosa Said He'd Repair the Criminal Justice System - - He Failed

President Cyril Ramaphosa has always claimed that he wanted to rebuild the criminal justice system. The claims against Investigative Directorate Against Corruption head Andrea Johnson are the final nail in the coffin of his promise. He has failed, partially because of his own actions and inaction ... and probably blown the best chance South Africa had of a working criminal justice system.

When Cyril Ramaphosa was elected President on the Friday after former president Jacob Zuma's Valentine's Day resignation in 2018, it was the end of a momentous week.

He promised at the time, and several times since, to repair the criminal justice system. In particular, he promised a departure from the days of State Capture, when people in the leadership of the SAPS and the NPA used their powers to help people, including Zuma, steal from the state.

Importantly, he had the legal power to make appointments to many of the positions that were vital to this job. So many of them have ended in disaster.

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Shamila Batohi, appointed head of the NPA with so much fanfare, amid hopes that for the first time in our democratic history the institution would be properly independent, left under a massive cloud.

Her illegal act, as I understand it, in leaving the inquiry into the fitness for office of Joburg prosecutions boss Andrew Chauke (an inquiry she requested) still defies public explanation.

The person Ramaphosa appointed to lead the police, Fannie Masemola, has been suspended as he faces charges for his alleged role in the tender involving the SAPS and Vusimuzi "Cat"...