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South Africa is entering one of its most volatile political periods since the transition to democracy. In a wide-ranging conversation on SMWX, political analyst Tessa Dooms unpacked the deep structural dangers, shifting power dynamics, and cracks in state authority that have emerged following explosive allegations, the Madlanga Commission, and contestation inside Parliament and government.
Below is a clear breakdown of the key insights — explained for readers who want to understand what is really happening beneath the headlines.
1. The Rise of the Security State as a Political Actor
Dooms warns that South Africans are increasingly placing political hope in strongmen figures inside the security apparatus — a dramatic and dangerous shift.
- A decade ago, the public didn’t know police generals by name.
- Today, figures such as General Mkhwanazi have become political celebrities.
- Political parties openly courted his public favour after the July revelations.
This signals a democratic fault line:
👉 Citizens are losing faith in political parties and turning toward security figures as symbols of order and authority.
Why it’s dangerous:
A 2023 Afrobarometer study shows 30% of South Africans would accept military rule. This appetite, combined with rising admiration for security leaders, creates conditions ripe for authoritarian drift.
2. Politicians, Criminal Networks & the Security Cluster — A Dangerous Triangle
A central theme in Dooms’ analysis is the blurring relationship between politicians, criminals, and law enforcement.
Regardless of whether every allegation stands, she argues that:
- The very possibility of collusion between senior politicians, police officers, and criminal networks is destabilising.
- South Africans are witnessing that such relationships can occur, and possibly already have.
- This triangle explains political killings, intimidation, and rapid eruptions of state dysfunction.
Most alarming insight:
If allegations around political interference in the “political killings task team” are true, the state may have been “sold” for something as trivial as hotel rooms and transport — not even millions in bribes.
“If it’s that easy to sell the country, our problems are much bigger.”
3. Minister Senzo Mchunu’s Testimony Exposed a Competency Crisis
Dooms argues the real issue is not cadre deployment, but competent deployment.
Using Minister Senzo Mchunu’s handling of police directives as an example, she highlights:
- A minister issued operational instructions on New Year’s Eve, while key police leaders were on leave.
- He appeared unfamiliar with the operational consequences of his directives.
- His testimony lacked clarity, strategy, and basic technical understanding.
In contrast, General Mkhwanazi demonstrated depth, clarity and institutional insight — raising questions about whether politicians truly control the security apparatus they oversee.
4. Parliament is Fumbling Its Accountability Role
Dooms notes troubling inconsistencies in Parliament’s behaviour:
- MPs showed aggression and scrutiny toward alleged criminals.
- But this same intensity disappears when ministers and political heavyweights testify.
- Some MPs, including ANC members, show flashes of real accountability — but the broader trend is softness and deference.
This creates a culture where:
- Parliament is performative when interrogating “villains”
- But protective or timid when scrutinising powerful political figures
This undermines the core purpose of parliamentary oversight and contributes to a democracy with no meaningful consequences.
5. President Ramaphosa Escapes Fallout — Again
Dooms points out a recurring pattern:
- Ramaphosa distances himself when scandals escalate
- Political pressure dissipates
- Public outrage fades
- He survives without cost
The Madlanga Commission existed largely because the President refused to make a political decision early on. Now, after G20 optics improved his standing, he appears secure again.
6. The National Dialogue: A Missed Opportunity Hijacked by Elites
Dooms, who was part of early dialogue efforts, reveals:
- Civil society designed the National Dialogue as a mass, community-led process
- Political foundations later asserted control and imposed exclusionary ideas
- When these elites withdrew one week before the event, they blamed the state
- Citizenship and grassroots mobilisation suffered as a result
Her verdict:
“We have naughty elites — civil society and political — who want processes to happen on their terms.”
The dialogue could still be salvaged, but trust has been damaged.
7. Local Government Elections 2026: The Helen Zille Factor
The DA’s decision to run Helen Zille as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate 18 months before the election is, in Dooms’ view, a seismic political event.
Why it matters:
- It shifts local government elections into a national referendum on Zille
- It overshadows community issues with personality politics
- It energises DA voters but may suppress turnout among others
- It positions Zille — not local governance — at the centre of the 2026 contest
- It could fracture already fragile coalitions in Johannesburg
This “Zille effect” could influence outcomes far beyond Joburg.
8. The ANC’s Internal Battles Are No Longer About Ideas
The ANC’s NGC and upcoming conferences are no longer spaces of ideological renewal. Instead:
- Delegates attend to measure factions ahead of 2027
- Policy debates are sidelined
- Organisational health is ignored
- Regions like Johannesburg are split down the middle
- Patronage battles — not governance or ideas — define internal politics
Dooms argues this is a long-term existential threat to the ANC.
9. Voter Apathy is the Biggest Political Weapon — Not Parties
The most striking argument from Dooms is that political parties have no interest in increasing voter turnout, because:
- New voters tend not to support established parties
- Declining turnout benefits parties with stable, predictable bases
- The DA thrives under depressed turnout
- The ANC avoids new disillusioned voters
- New parties also fail to build fresh voting blocs
- Only the PA is actively building new voter bases
In her words:
“Parties want voters to stay home. The voters must disrupt next year’s elections.”
This makes 2026 and 2027 less about party strategy, and more about whether the electorate chooses to show up.
10. The Big Picture: South Africa is in a “Strongman Temptation” Moment
Across all her analysis, Dooms identifies a unifying danger:
- Weak political authority
- A popular, admired security general
- Widespread frustration with democracy’s performance
- Growing trust in the security apparatus over politicians
- Deep state–criminal–political entanglements
- Declining voter participation
- Power vacuums in major parties
This combination creates a political environment where South Africa is closer to democratic backsliding than many recognise.
