Retired SAPS Lieutenant-Colonel Says General Mkhwanazi Is No Hero, SA Claps Back
- A retired SAPS lieutenant-colonel wrote an opinion piece arguing KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was simply doing his job
- Lt-Colonel Cobus Steenkamp questioned whether Mkhwanazi deserved hero status after his July 6 address exposed rot within the police service
- South Africans flooded the comments to defend General Mkhwanazi, calling him a superhero in a broken system
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Getty Images
SOUTH AFRICA - A retired SAPS lieutenant-colonel has come under fire after arguing that KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is “no hero” for exposing alleged corruption and wrongdoing within the police.
Lt-Colonel Cobus Steenkamp made the comments in an opinion piece published by IOL, where he questioned the public praise Mkhwanazi received after his 6 July address to the nation.
Steenkamp says Mkhwanazi was doing his job
Steenkamp argued that Mkhwanazi simply carried out his responsibility as a senior police officer by speaking publicly about the alleged rot within the criminal justice system.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
“A senior police officer stood in front of South Africa, lifted the lid on a can of worms, and within days the nation had crowned him a hero,” Steenkamp wrote.
He questioned why Mkhwanazi was celebrated for “simply” naming the problems out loud rather than solving or ending the alleged corruption.
Steenkamp said the reaction to the address also raised questions about South African society, arguing that when honesty becomes rare, people may treat someone speaking openly as worthy of a “standing ovation”.
He also referred to evidence heard at the Madlanga Commission, saying the inquiry had exposed how some police officials conduct themselves in the field.
According to Steenkamp, the commission has also shone an “unflinching light” on failures within the criminal justice system and the way ordinary citizens are affected.
He ended his opinion piece by questioning whether meaningful change is possible.
Mzansi pushes back
Steenkamp’s comments sparked strong reactions on social media, with several South Africans rejecting his argument that Mkhwanazi should not be regarded as a hero.
@Lord_Ori_ wrote:
"In a state like this where police are also criminals, he's a hero that is doing his job."
@Zizojavu said:
"The same Mkhwanazi who was accused of breaching SAPS protocol? We won't be told by Steenkamp, Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi is not just a hero, he's a super hero."
@Bra_Lopz added:
"Mkhwanazi never said he is a hero. We the people who appreciate his bravery know he is a hero. So Cobus you better hush!"
@EliasMashumi noted:
"The likes of Cobus worked for years within the corrupt SAPS and did nothing to correct the rot. He was waiting for his pension. He added nothing of value all those years. Now, in retirement, he wants to be famous. General Mkhwanazi is a Super Hero."
@Hamandishe10 quipped:
"So Cobus thinks that he's smarter for not having done his job correctly and waited for somebody to do it."
Mkhwanazi's warning about women's safety resurfaces
Previously, Briefly News also reported that a resurfaced clip of General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi speaking during an emergency press briefing had South Africans talking again. The video quickly gained traction as bodies of women continued to be discovered across the country. In the clip, Mkhwanazi argued that ordinary citizens, particularly women, have none of that protection and called on officers not to place their own safety above that of the people they are sworn to serve.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: Briefly News
