‘It’s Like a Mafia State’: Mike Bolhuis Warns of Crime Cartel Inside SAPS

As police infighting explodes into the public domain, a veteran crime expert says organised networks are holding South Africa hostage, from the inside out.

South Africa’s battle with organised crime is no longer just a street-level issue, it’s reached the top floors of power. That’s the stark warning from seasoned specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis, who has accused rogue networks within the South African Police Service (SAPS) of actively protecting and participating in criminal syndicates.

His comments follow the seismic press briefing by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who publicly accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of undermining corruption investigations and blocking probes into political assassinations.

Bolhuis’s assessment was blunt:

“It’s like a group of people that has hijacked this country… taken power and control. If anyone stands in their way, they’re dealt with, either by death, or by defamation.”

Criminal Cartels Within the System

Speaking to SABC News, Bolhuis described the current state of policing as a “mafioso setup”, where crime syndicates enjoy protection from high-ranking officials. According to him, this network is so entrenched and so well-oiled that even honest police officers live in fear of being sidelined, demoted, or worse.

“Crime only flourishes with police involvement,” he said. “People in uniform have learned that crime pays. And those who try to expose it are either silenced or smeared.”

A Nation Held Hostage by Fear and Corruption

Bolhuis and others believe the explosive allegations made by Mkhwanazi mark a turning point, but also a dangerous one. If not addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa upon his return from the BRICS Summit in Brazil, the scandal could tear at the already fragile unity of the government and devastate public trust in the police.

Professor Kholofelo Rakubu, head of the Department of Law, Safety and Security Management at TUT, echoed that sentiment, calling Mkhwanazi’s move “unprecedented” in its boldness.

“This is what happens when the chain of command is so compromised by political infiltration,” she said. “You have to go directly to the people, as Mkhwanazi did.”

Rakubu also warned that the propaganda machine would soon kick in to discredit the commissioner,  already seen in petty critiques about the police uniform he wore during his briefing. “We should expect scandal after scandal, distraction after distraction. That’s the politics of South Africa.”

Ramaphosa Faces a Defining Test

The President’s response or lack thereof, could define his leadership. If he fails to act against implicated figures within his own party, the African National Congress (ANC) may pay a devastating electoral price, analysts warn.

“There are calls across the country now, from academics to activists to community leaders, for the president to ‘cut the lines’ of corruption,” said Rakubu. “And if he doesn’t, the ANC’s back is against the wall.”

Ripple Effects Down the Police Chain

The effect of this high-level rot is already being felt across the force. Rakubu described how morale among police officers is plummeting, with some now refusing to investigate cases or pursue criminals.

“They know how deep the rot goes. Why would they risk their careers, or their lives, when they know justice isn’t guaranteed?”

Public Pressure Is the Only Counterweight

Bolhuis urged citizens to watch Mkhwanazi’s video carefully, and to understand that the rot is not just political, it’s personal. “This country doesn’t belong to criminals. It belongs to its people,” he said. “We need a groundswell. Law-abiding South Africans, honest cops, investigators, prosecutors, they need to stand together now.”

The cracks in SAPS aren’t new. But never before has the rot been exposed in such raw, public fashion. What comes next, accountability or more suppression,  will reveal just how committed this government is to justice.

{Source: IOL}

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