Malema Confirms Warrant of Arrest for Police Commissioner Masemola, Slams Factional Battles in SAPS.
Deep-Rooted Crisis in South African Policing Exposed
By Thabo Mosia
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has confirmed that a warrant of arrest has been issued for National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, warning that political interference and deep-rooted factional battles within the South African Police Service (SAPS) are fuelling instability and undermining the fight against crime.
In a fiery media briefing in Cape Town on Thursday, 24 July 2025, Malema pulled no punches as he addressed the ongoing chaos in the country’s law enforcement. He linked the warrant to alleged wrongdoing by Masemola in Crime Intelligence operations, claiming it was issued but not yet executed due to political games. “There is a warrant of arrest against Masemola. It is out. I don’t know why he’s not being picked up. It means someone somewhere is playing politics and someone they want to undermine once more the independence of our justice system,” Malema stated.
This revelation comes amid a wave of scandals rocking SAPS, where accusations of corruption, syndicate infiltration, and political meddling have dominated headlines. Malema’s comments build on recent explosive allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who on 6 July 2025 held a press briefing accusing high-level officials, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, of colluding with crime syndicates and interfering in sensitive investigations. Mkhwanazi detailed how a drug cartel and criminal network have infested law enforcement, controlling operations from metro police to national levels, and even influencing politicians in Parliament. He claimed that lives in South Africa are now “controlled by crime,” with syndicates protecting high-profile criminals while ordinary citizens suffer from rising violence, extortion, and drug-related killings.
Factional Struggles and Government Response
Malema described the situation as “pure criminality,” pointing to factions within SAPS that align with political figures for control over resources like secret slush funds. He highlighted splits, such as one group backing Mchunu and another tied to former officials, saying, “There are factions in the police. You’ve got Minister working with Kumalo and Masemola. No, not Masemola. The other one who got severance. No, no, it’s Minister. Then you’ve got National Commissioner working with Kumalo. So there is a power struggle there.”
These battles, according to Malema, extend beyond SAPS into government, paralysing efforts to fight crime. He criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s handling of the crisis, particularly the decision on 13 July 2025 to place Mchunu on special leave rather than firing him outright. Ramaphosa appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia, a former provincial minister and university lecturer, as acting Police Minister, while also establishing a commission of inquiry to probe the allegations. Mchunu has denied the claims, but the move has been slammed by the EFF as a weak response that allows the minister to continue drawing a salary and attending ANC meetings without real accountability. “Minister Mchunu was supposed to be fired completely but you know factions are painful. You know to belong to a faction is the most painful thing as a leader,” Malema said, adding that Mchunu should have resigned to spare Ramaphosa the tough choice.
The EFF leader also welcomed Parliament’s adoption on 22 July 2025 of a joint report recommending an ad hoc committee to investigate the rot in SAPS, including political interference and syndicate links. This committee, pushed by the EFF and other parties, has a 90-day timeline to report back, though Malema admitted it might need an extension due to the gravity of the issues. “It’s not enough. But we need to work under pressure so that we can try and deliver whatever report within a short space of time,” he noted. He expressed eagerness to serve on or even chair the committee, vowing no “manga-manga business” and promising to expose cover-ups, including those related to the Phala Phala farm scandal involving Ramaphosa.
Experts like crime analyst Calvin Rafadi have backed Mkhwanazi’s claims as “very probable,” warning that criminal syndicates have deeply infiltrated SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and even the judiciary, leading to delayed arrests and botched investigations. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has pledged to use the committee to push for major reforms, including ending political meddling in police operations.
High-Profile Murders and the Cost of Corruption
Malema tied these factions to delays in solving prominent cases, such as the murders of musician DJ Sumbody and rapper AKA (Kiernan Forbes). He questioned why suspects in DJ Sumbody’s 2022 killing took so long to be arrested, saying, “It tells you the people who killed DJ Sumbody are highly connected.” He praised Mkhwanazi for recent breakthroughs, noting arrests in AKA’s 2023 murder and hinting at more to come, including those benefiting from “political favoritism protection.”
These cases highlight how syndicates allegedly shield killers, with Mkhwanazi accusing officials of disbanding task teams probing organised crime at the behest of politicians and businesspeople. In AKA’s case, arrests have revealed links to extortion rings in KwaZulu-Natal, while DJ Sumbody’s death is tied to disputes over music industry contracts potentially involving corrupt police protection. Malema called for Mkhwanazi’s contract, ending in December 2025, to be renewed and for him to be elevated nationally, saying, “We are at a point where we cannot afford to lose Mkhwanazi. Somehow he needs to be retained into the force and somehow he needs to be elevated to a national responsibility.”
He also referenced businessman Vusimuzi “Catz” Matlala’s recent arrest for fraud and attempted murder related to SAPS contracts, urging him to “sing” and expose networks. “What kind of a gentleman plans an assassination on a girlfriend? I don’t even know which Enabi agreed to that assignment,” Malema quipped, emphasising the need to dismantle these webs.
EFF’s 12th Anniversary: Solidarity with the Marginalised
Shifting to party matters, Malema announced the EFF’s 12th anniversary rally on 26 July 2025 in Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s second-largest township. Originally planned for the Eastern Cape, the venue changed due to devastating floods that displaced communities in areas like Polar Park, Dolani, and Bambanani Mata. Malema visited the affected regions with King Dalindyebo to assess damage and provide relief, stressing hands-on leadership: “This is how leadership must respond in times of crisis. Not through press conferences or press releases, but by physically being present with the people.”
The choice of Khayelitsha is symbolic, highlighting neglect under DA-led governance. “When the DA-led city speaks of a smart city, they are not referring to Khayelitsha. They are referring to the white enclaves of Sea Point, Claremont, Constantia and Stellenbosch. While the people of Khayelitsha are left to swim in poverty, crime, poor sanitation, overcrowding and the lack of basic housing,” he said. A new 10,000-capacity dome with full amenities will host the event, expected to draw crowds from nearby areas like Site B, Site C, TR Section, Nyanga, Delft, and Belhar. Malema described it as “a festival of the poor,” reflecting on 12 years of fighting for economic freedom since the EFF’s birth in 2013.
Pushing for Economic Justice and Growth
Malema reiterated the EFF’s core demands: land expropriation without compensation, nationalising the Reserve Bank, free decolonised education, publicly funded healthcare, and a state-owned pharmaceutical company. He slammed rising electricity tariffs approved by Nersa, warning they fuel unrest like recent uprisings in Tembisa. “The EFF warned South Africa on the 30th of January 2025 that the decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to greenlight Eskom’s 12.7% electricity tariffs increase on 1st April 2025 will be reckless and now that reality has kicked in.”
He criticised austerity budgets cutting funds for education, welfare, and law enforcement, linking them to crime spikes. The EFF has challenged VAT increases, electricity hikes, and irregular lottery licences in Parliament, forcing revisions to the 2025 fiscal framework.
On growth, Malema dismissed claims that the MK Party would erode EFF support, saying, “There’s no MK that is going to reduce us. No no no no no. It will reduce us amongst tribalists not amongst the progressive South Africans.” He pointed to gains in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, positioning the EFF for 2026 local elections. “The road to 2026 starts now. It begins with the people.”
A Call for Urgent Reform
Malema urged South Africans to rally against the policing crisis, protecting whistleblowers like Mkhwanazi and ending syndicate control. “Children are being killed in Meadowlands by guns that are supplied by police. We can stop that killing now,” he said. With the ad hoc committee and commission underway, he warned against delays, calling commissions “used by politicians to delay a matter that can be resolved now.”
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