By Annisa Essack
08:02:2022

July 9th to the 18th, 2021, will forever be etched into the minds of South Africans, especially those in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng.

Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved the report released by the Expert Panel appointed to investigate the July 2021 riots.

Political analyst Roland Hanwood discussed the report with Radio Islam International.

The report indicates a lack of leadership and that the government failed the people, and Hanwood agreed, saying that the President and his executive did not communicate, not acting coherently. They were preoccupied with COVID issues, forgetting their other responsibilities.

Though South Africans will question if this report is just another one that gets dumped, Hanwood says that the report is essential as it highlights specific areas of concern, like the dysfunction in the government and the infighting within the ANC. The report places the issues in a particular context and platform, increasing pressure on the President and government to respond.

Hanwood says the President should think about making changes to the Cabinet. Action needs to be taken regarding functional and institutional deficiencies and failures that link to the leadership failures across the board that need to be actioned.

He also mentioned the Mufamadi Panel that investigated failures in the intelligence systems and brought forth recommendations that need to be implemented.

Hanwood says that the President and the ANC put the party, with its infighting and dysfunctionality, above South Africa is the biggest threat to South Africa, and this, he says, is the most damning finding.

Although there is a lack of capacity in policing and prosecuting successfully, ineptitude and inefficiencies, the challenge is that the crux of the problem is an internal ANC problem that requires the organs of State against those comrades, which is difficult to achieve.

Hanwood said that even though the police did not have the capacity and resources when the rioting and violence began, police were not visible during the insurrection for an extended period. He questioned the extent to which police leadership, and other organs of State, were involved in the infighting within the ANC.

A key recommendation from the report, among others, is that the President initiates the drawing-up of a national security strategy. Further, urgent action is needed to facilitate conditions and pathways for development at the local government level.

The report ends with a simple finding that sums up the major issue facing South Africans – “It is time for South Africans to accept that those who have, must share with those who do not.”

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