Soil of Africa civic movements members photos by Dimakatso Modipa
By Bongani Ramontja
Chairperson Soil of Africa civic movements
We, as Soil of Africa, a civic movement rooted in the grassroots and speaking on behalf of the voiceless, cannot remain silent.
We are on the ground every day standing, walking, and fighting side by side with our communities.
We feel their pain.
We live their struggles. Our townships are under siege.
Parents are losing their children to drugs, violence, and crime daily. Entire families are being torn apart, and yet those in power continue to turn a blind eye.
Today, we call out President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mr. President, your decision to place Minister Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” is not accountability it is avoidance.
We reject this soft response to a man who is implicated in collaborating with gangsters while occupying one of the most critical offices in the country: Minister of Police.
How can a minister entrusted to protect our people be associated with the very criminal networks that are destroying our communities? Where is the justice? Where is the leadership?
Minister Mchunu is supposed to be a defender of South Africans, a protector of the people.
But under your watch, he stands accused of betrayal and you remain silent. We demand answers, we demand accountability, we demand action.
Minister Mchunu has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
His alleged ties to known gangsters are a disgrace to the office he holds and a betrayal of public trust.
We therefore demand his immediate dismissal, and that a criminal case be opened against him. A Minister of Police must protect the people not dine with criminals.
This association sends a clear message: this government is not only tolerating gangsterism it is promoting it.
We see this reality in our townships every single day:
•Children dying from drugs and violence.
•Gangsters ruling the streets without fear.
•Police officers working hand-in-hand with criminal syndicates.
•Business owners, women, and youth living in fear unable to open shops, apply for tenders, or walk safely in their own communities.
Mamelodi, Soshanguve, and other parts of Gauteng have become warzones.
For over six years, the killings have continued unchecked. No one is arrested. No weapons recovered. No justice delivered.
Enough is enough.
We, as Soil of Africa, believe South Africa deserves better.
We therefore call for Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkwanazi to be appointed as the new Minister of Police.
Lt. Gen. Mkwanazi has proven himself in KwaZulu-Natal. Under his leadership, we have seen tangible progress: accountability, visible policing, and a strong stance against gangsterism qualities sorely missing in Gauteng and other provinces.
We do not want police in Mamelodi who are compromised and embedded in criminal networks. We demand a fresh, independent deployment of officers who are not linked to local gangs. We demand a new beginning.
We trust Lt. Gen. Mkwanazi.
We trust his integrity.
We stand with him.
We will fight for his appointment.
To President Ramaphosa: since your cabinet continues to fail us, we are prepared to invoke Section 17 of the Constitution and Act 205 of 1993.
We will march with the people of Mamelodi and surrounding communities.
We will demand answers. We will demand justice.
We will not continue living in fear while your ministers dine with criminals.
Soil of Africa takes a firm stand:
Mchunu must go.
Mkwanazi must rise.
The people must be protected.