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ANCYL Weighs In as DA’s Kohler Barnard Faces Explosive Intelligence Allegations
Youth League sounds the alarm
The ANC Youth League has entered the fray following sensational allegations made at the Madlanga Commission. Its president, Collen Malatji, voiced concern over claims that Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard played a role in attacks on South Africa’s intelligence services.
Speaking after the league’s 2nd National General Council in Kimberley, Malatji stressed that no party should be shielded from scrutiny. He noted that while the media often highlights ANC members accused of corruption, the same emphasis is not always applied when DA figures are implicated. For him, this imbalance needs to be corrected if the public is to trust that accountability truly cuts across the political spectrum.
The commission’s revelations
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, was established to probe criminality and corruption within the criminal justice system. Its hearings began recently in Pretoria and have already pulled back the curtain on allegations of entrenched syndicates and political interference.
KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, was the commission’s first witness. He alleged that Kohler Barnard had incited hostility against the Crime Intelligence unit and mishandled classified information. He also implicated other political figures, including suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams, in what he described as a web of interference and sabotage.
Kohler Barnard fights back
Kohler Barnard has dismissed the allegations outright, calling them defamatory and absurd. In an interview, she explained that her public statements were based on information already available in national newspapers. She pointed to extensive reporting on properties bought by Crime Intelligence earlier this year, which prompted her to formally request an investigation from the Inspector-General of Intelligence.
She added that, while she had previously served on the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, she had adhered to its strict confidentiality rules. To suggest that she was part of a criminal syndicate, she said, ignored her two decades of work drafting and defending laws in Parliament.
“I’ve been attacked many times in my 21 years in Parliament, but this is one of the most outrageous,” she remarked, adding that she was considering whether to appear before the commission to present her side.
The Youth League’s call for action
For the ANC Youth League, the debate around Kohler Barnard is part of a bigger picture. Malatji welcomed the commission’s work, saying it had already shown how criminal networks infiltrated state institutions. He urged that the findings not be allowed to “gather dust” but instead lead to arrests, prosecutions, and the recovery of stolen public resources.
“South Africans cannot afford another commission whose report goes nowhere while predators walk free,” he warned.
What comes next
The Madlanga Commission has quickly become one of the most watched inquiries in recent years. Allegations are flying across party lines, dragging high-profile figures into the spotlight. For the public, it highlights both the deep challenges facing South Africa’s justice system and the urgency of restoring trust in democratic institutions.
As the hearings continue, the pressure will mount not only on those named but also on lawmakers and law enforcement to act decisively on whatever evidence emerges.
Also read: Parliament invites public submissions on Madlanga Commission claims
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: YFM
