Cyril Must Go’: Durban Protesters Reject Commissions, Demand Action After Mkhwanazi Bombshell

Citizens say they’ve had enough of empty promises and want accountability, not more commissions.

A wave of frustration and defiance surged through Durban on Tuesday as hundreds gathered to back KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, and call for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s immediate resignation.

The Hands Off Mkhwanazi march, organised by civil society groups and political activists, started at the Curries Fountain Sports Development Centre and made its way to Hoy Park. The message from the crowd was clear: no more smoke and mirrors. They’ve heard enough promises, seen too many commissions, and witnessed too little justice.

Backing a Whistleblower in Uniform

The protest comes in the wake of Mkhwanazi’s explosive allegations against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya. In a country grappling with deepening distrust in its institutions, Mkhwanazi has emerged as an unlikely symbol of truth-telling—sparking both admiration and anxiety.

Organisers and attendees fear the whistleblower commissioner could be sidelined or removed for shaking the status quo. “We are here to protect him,” said Nokuthula Cele of Umnotho Wabansundu, one of the groups behind the march. “He is one of the few who has shown courage. Law enforcement has failed us, and we finally have someone lifting the veil.”

‘We Don’t Want Another Zondo Circus’

Protesters were unimpressed by Ramaphosa’s Sunday night response—placing Mchunu on special leave and announcing a judicial commission of inquiry chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.

For many on the ground, this announcement felt all too familiar.

“No more commissions, no more wasting taxpayer money!” shouted one protester through a megaphone. The refrain was echoed by Lenzo Pillay, from Building Better Communities, who declared that South Africans have waited long enough for meaningful consequences.

“What came of the Zondo Commission? Who is in jail? The same faces keep protecting each other,” he said. “It’s time for the youth to take over. Cyril and the ANC must step aside.”

‘Hands Off Mkhwanazi’: Protesters Brace for a Backlash

As the crowd chanted “Phansi ngo Cyril Phansi!”, fears were mounting that the establishment would soon move to isolate or remove Mkhwanazi.

David Saunders, another marcher, said people must resist such a move. “We know how this goes. They will try to push him out, say he’s disruptive, maybe even arrest him. But we are here to show he’s not alone.”

A Nation Fed Up With ‘Bureaucratic Theatre’

From civil society groups to average citizens, there’s growing fatigue with the ritual of commissions, suspensions, and press statements with no visible change. The Durban march made one thing crystal clear: public patience is wearing thin.

The crowd’s demand wasn’t for more dialogue. It was for accountability. Real, tangible justice, not symbolism. And their chant, “Cyril Must Go,” wasn’t just political theatre, it was a sign of a public that’s lost trust in the old guard and is calling for something radically new.

As one protester bluntly put it: “We’ve been robbed, misled, and ignored. And we’re done being quiet.”

{Source: IOL}

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