Landslide

Morning all,

The world feels like it’s on a bit of a landslide at the moment, with ongoing conflicts creating a very dangerous slope.

Loyalties are divided, and many find themselves in difficult positions. Various alliances are forming — (USA & Israel), (Europe/UK & Ukraine), (Russia, Iran & SA) — with different combinations emerging, and increasingly, drones 🎮 becoming the dominant force.

I remember when a drone was just a bit of fun to spy on your neighbour’s swimming pool… how times have changed 🤔

Needless to say, our “Donald” thread remains very active.
He appears to be running out of options — and none of them look particularly good.

Perhaps the best move would be to cut losses in Iran and take a completely new direction — a different cap altogether.

Back home, the SA government also seems to be sliding, with more corruption cases coming to light. The extent of what has been exposed, particularly involving senior police officials at various commissions, is quite staggering 😳

President Ramaphosa must be facing some very difficult decisions — one wonders how many more officials will be asked to step aside or be suspended on full pay.
Sleepless nights on the couch 🛋 

The water situation 💧 is deeply concerning, especially with reports of misused funds.
Power outages in Pretoria East are another ongoing issue, with little sense of urgency around service delivery.

Preventative maintenance and accountability have clearly not been priorities.

On the sporting side:

Football ⚽️
Hopefully Hearts aren’t heading for a slide after their weekend defeat.
They’ve now moved to second favourites between Celtic and Rangers.

Senegal have been stripped of the AFCON title, with Morocco declared champions.
One has to wonder — what happens to the medals and official records now?

It reminds me of the time George and I led in the wrong horse at the Vaal… we’ve still got the photo 🤣

Racing 🏇

With the jumps season now behind us after a thrilling Cheltenham Festival, attention turns to the flat season.

A good trivia question: what is the longest race during the flat season?
Interestingly, it’s still the Grand National — a jumps race that falls within the official flat season.

JP McManus could well have another winner, though it’s not easy to pinpoint which one.
I Am Maximus looks a leading contender.

From the O’Brien yard, Albert Einstein is generating plenty of buzz — currently favourite for the 2000 Guineas. The big question remains: will he see out the mile?

Locally, we’ve got some exciting racing ahead. Champions Day at Turffontein on 4 April promises to be exceptional.

Highlights include:

Hazy Dazy chasing the Triple Tiara

A cracking sprint: Buffalo Bill Cody vs William Robertson vs Kingdundee

Double Grand Slam vs Golden Palm (to be confirmed)

I’m not convinced about Do It Again — perhaps being saved for when Andrew is back to full health 🙏
Curious Girl also adds an interesting angle 🤔

This weekend’s racing features relatively small fields:

PE – Friday
East Cape Horse Care Day — great to see strong support, including our ABC bricks on the wall.
Special mention to Dorrie Sham for the initiative 👏
Favourites should dominate, so expect smaller dividends.

Saturday
Double-header: Cape Town & Turffontein
Can William Robertson do it again? What a horse.

Sunday
Greyville rounds things off.

Good punting 👍

“Landslide” remains one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands —
Stevie and Lindsay at their very best 👌

deleted:   document did not convert correctly

MKHWANAZI for President 👍👏

Seven Months Later: Mkhwanazi Stands His Ground as Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee Concludes

It has been seven months since that fateful Sunday that Mighty Jamie dubbed "Krinkum Krankum Sunday" — the day KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi stepped before the media and dropped a bombshell that would shake the criminal justice system to its core. Since that July morning, we have heard shocking testimony of top cops enjoying cozy relationships with the so-called "Big Five" cartel, of political interference in police investigations, and of a system seemingly captured by criminal elements.

My question today is simple: where are those journalists who were so quick to question Mkhwanazi's allegations? Where are the sceptics who focused on his uniform on that Krinkum Sunday rather than the substance of his claims? I can safely say now what many were afraid to admit then — he was right. Irrespective of the uniform drama, irrespective of the personal attacks, the General's warnings have proven prescient.

The Final Reckoning

Yesterday, Mkhwanazi returned to Parliament's ad hoc committee for what can only be described as a masterclass in testimony. He didn't just appear — he mesmerized them . The same committee members who had spent months interrogating witnesses, who had heard counter-allegations from suspended minister Senzo Mchunu and businessman Brown Mogotsi, sat captivated as the General systematically dismantled the narratives built against him.

And buy? Did he just finish them off? Absolutely.

Mkhwanazi stood firm on his central allegation: that former police minister Senzo Mchunu was "captured" when he issued the December 31, 2024 letter disbanding the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) . The commissioner presented compelling evidence, noting that the letter bore an electronic signature placed by a secretary and was distributed to official SAPS email addresses — and one private address. That private address, he suggested, belonged to Mogotsi, the alleged "political fixer" who has been at the centre of this web .

"I'm still convinced that Mchunu was made to do what he did," Mkhwanazi told the committee .

Addressing the Counter-Allegations

The General did not shy away from the difficult questions. He addressed the previously undisclosed meeting with alleged cartel figure Vusi "Cat" Matlala at The Capital Pearls hotel in uMhlanga — a meeting that Mogotsi had previously used to paint Mkhwanazi as compromised .

But Mkhwanazi's explanation was characteristically frank: the meeting was arranged by KZN Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona, and he had initially treated Matlala as an informant. "During that meeting, Matlala voluntarily shared detailed information about officials like Shadrack Sibiya, including addresses and claims that Sibiya used police resources to collect money," Mkhwanazi explained .

He argued persuasively that Matlala's decision to go public about the meeting was an attempt by outside parties to "paint a bad picture" of him and destroy his credibility .

The Bigger Picture

What Mkhwanazi has achieved goes beyond defending himself. Throughout this process, he has consistently pushed for systemic reform. As MP Khusela Sangoni-Diko noted, the General used his time before the committee to advocate for fixing the "rot" within SAPS .

His closing words to the committee were perhaps the most telling. With a humility rarely seen in public officials, he cautioned: "Don't say Mkhwanazi is 100%. I agree I have holes. We all have our downfalls. But be careful of the witnesses you trust" .

This is the mark of a man confident in his core truth while acknowledging his humanity. This is active citizenship in action.

The Contrast with Journalistic Scepticism

Which brings me back to my opening question. In the immediate aftermath of that July briefing, certain quarters of the media were quick to question Mkhwanazi's motives, to focus on the man rather than the message, to wonder about his uniform choices rather than the cartels infiltrating our police service.

Where are those voices now?

The evidence has mounted. Witness after witness has corroborated elements of Mkhwanazi's original claims. The "Big Five" cartel is real — crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo has provided detailed testimony about its operations, its leadership (including the late Jothan "Mswazi" Msibi and Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala), and its deep penetration of the criminal justice system .

When we talk about an active citizen, we are talking about men like Mkhwanazi. Men willing to stand in the fire, to face parliamentary scrutiny, to have their lives and careers dissected in public — all because they refuse to remain silent in the face of corruption.

The Road Ahead

The ad hoc committee now moves to the next phase: compiling a draft report that will be presented to the National Assembly . The report will be descriptive rather than analytical, meaning it won't assess witness credibility — that task falls to the broader public and, ultimately, to bodies like the NPA.

But for those of us who have followed this journey from that Krinkum Krankum Sunday through to yesterday's mesmerising performance, the verdict is already clear.

Mkhwanazi was right. He has always been right.

Keep it up, General Shamase. Nkwali yenkosi.

Mkhwanazi Issues Scathing Remarks in Parliament

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi delivered sharp and controversial comments during proceedings of the Ad Hoc Committee. 

“We will continue to respect you as leaders of this country in Parliament, even though some of you associate yourselves with criminals,” Mkhwanazi said, stressing that respect for leadership remains despite serious concerns.

He went further, adding: “There is Honourable Adams — we still refer to him as ‘Honourable,’ yet he himself has admitted here in Parliament that he was once a major figure in criminal activities.”

The remarks have raised serious questions about accountability and integrity among public representatives, and are expected to spark intense debate both in and outside Parliament. ⚖️

Sergeant Fannie Nkosi is the king of Firsts there by #MadlangaCommission:

1. Longest-testifying witness
2. First to switch from virtual to in-person proceedings
3. First to “deplete English data bundles” 😅
4. First to drink less water but take more bathroom breaks 🚶🏾‍♂️
5. First to allegedly “destroy” Tshwane Metro through tender network
6. First to require an interpreter
7. First to be linked to all rogue Generals
8. First to have cartel members & taxi bosses as “brothers” or “fathers”
9. First to be sent a 2Pac song by Gen. Mkhwanazi 🎧✋🏾
10. First to have multiple questionable “father figures”
11. First to directly connect SAPS to municipal corruption
12. First iceboy to serve more than one “master” (Gen Shibiri/Sibiya & Gen. Dlamini 👀 of Tshwane)
13. First to account for over 1000 WhatsApp messages 📱

This one witness has turned the Commission into a full series… 🍿

Where is Netflix when we need it🎞🎬🎥

#AdHocCommittee #Mkhwanazi #Mchunu #Madlanga #fyp #witnessf