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This joint submission by Corruption Watch and the Institute for Security Studies details how the Executive under former South African President Jacob Zuma manipulated criminal justice agencies—including the SAPS, the Hawks, and the NPA—to entrench state capture. The report highlights the use of strategic appointments, the misuse of crime intelligence to influence ANC party processes, and the obstruction of corruption investigations (such as the Bosasa case) to ensure impunity for the ruling elite. It concludes with twelve recommendations to reform senior management, increase transparency in Executive-agency interfaces, and institutionalize professional appointment processes to prevent future political interference.

• The manipulation of criminal justice agencies by the Executive under former president Jacob Zuma was a critical factor in entrenching state capture, ensuring impunity for the Executive, their political allies, and patronage networks.
• The primary criminal justice agencies targeted for manipulation include the South African Police Service (SAPS)—specifically its crime intelligence division—the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
• The SAPS crime intelligence division was used to strengthen the dominant faction of the ANC during the Zuma era by manipulating internal party processes, including national, provincial, and local elections.
• Manipulation of the criminal justice system led to a decline in agency performance, characterized by a surge in aggravated robberies, decreased prosecutorial performance, and a diminished capacity to investigate complex commercial crimes and corruption.
• The Executive's authority over senior appointments in the SAPS, Hawks, and NPA served as a primary vulnerability, described as an 'Achilles heel' for the integrity and independence of these bodies.
• Richard Mdluli, appointed as head of SAPS crime intelligence on 1 July 2009, is identified as a primary figure used to facilitate the misuse of state intelligence to benefit the Zuma-centred power elite by gathering information on rivals and generating 'leaks' to undermine officials.
• Evidence from Angelo Agrizzi suggests that former president Zuma personally supported efforts to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of Bosasa, allegedly using Nomgcobo Jiba as his representative within the NPA to shut down the case.
• The submission recommends that competency assessments against minimum standards be conducted for senior and top management in the SAPS (including crime intelligence) and the Hawks to address appointments made without proper selection processes.
• To prevent future manipulation, the authors recommend institutionalizing mechanisms to ensure the most suitable candidates are selected for leadership roles in criminal justice agencies and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
• The submission proposes that legislative limits be placed on the duration of acting appointments for senior leaders of independent bodies, suggesting a maximum period of six months.
• The authors recommend that SAPS employment regulations be amended to repeal provisions that allow for direct ministerial interference in appointments and promotions, requiring instead a clearly defined selection process.
• The submission suggests that political parties update their codes of conduct to ensure that individuals facing well-grounded accusations or charges are regarded as unsuitable for political office following an independent assessment.

APA

-1 (n.d.). -1. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-06-20-other-zondo-commission-submission.pdf

Chicago

-1. -1. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-06-20-other-zondo-commission-submission.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=-1 |title=-1 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-06-20-other-zondo-commission-submission.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{1nd, author = {-1}, title = {{-1}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-06-20-other-zondo-commission-submission.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }