Why President Ramaphosa Should Not Disband IDAC

The explosive testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has thrown the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) into turmoil. Revealing compromised dockets, operational failures, and severe leadership breakdown, the revelations have led to growing calls to dissolve the unit entirely.

Dismantling IDAC outright would be a fatal error for South Africa’s justice system. The country repeated this mistake in 2008 when it disbanded the Scorpions, creating an institutional void that took over a decade to fix and severely hampering the state's ability to tackle State Capture. Scrapping specialized agencies every time internal rot is exposed does not stop corruption it merely resets the clock for corrupt actors.

An institution must not be conflated with the individuals who compromised it. The specialized, prosecution led framework IDAC provides remains essential.

Instead of dissolving the unit, the state must carry out a ruthless operational overhaul:

Prosecute Internal Corruption: Compromised investigators and prosecutors must face direct criminal charges, not just workplace suspensions.

Enforce Audits and Re vetting: All remaining staff must undergo mandatory lifestyle audits and updated security clearance checks.

Audit Active Dockets: Independent forensic teams must review ongoing cases to ensure evidence was not tampered with or suppressed.

Fix Oversight: Legislative safeguards must be established to guarantee independent external oversight over NPA leadership.

South Africa cannot afford to tear down its anti-corruption infrastructure every time rogue elements infiltrate its ranks. The solution is not to disband IDAC, but to purge the corrupt actors, enforce transparency, and clean house.