---
title: "Idac faces a crucial test as new leadership takes on institutional dysfunction"
description: "South Africa does not need another anti-corruption institution that exists on paper but struggles to command public confidence. It needs institutions that are feared by those who steal from the state, respected by those who uphold the law and trusted by the public."
type: "OpinionNewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Opinionistas"
author: "Xola Nqola"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/xola-nqola/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-09-11-idac-faces-a-crucial-test-as-new-leadership-takes-on-institutional-dysfunction/"
published: "2026-09-11T13:16:09"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 1036
---

# Idac faces a crucial test as new leadership takes on institutional dysfunction

> South Africa does not need another anti-corruption institution that exists on paper but struggles to command public confidence. It needs institutions that are feared by those who steal from the state, respected by those who uphold the law and trusted by the public.

By Xola Nqola · Published 11 September 2026, 15:16 SAST

## Content

The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) has now been given something it urgently needs: a new beginning.

The appointment of Advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara as acting head of Idac comes at a difficult moment for the institution, but it also presents a genuine opportunity for renewal. Vanara takes over following the resignation of [Advocate Andrea Johnson](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-07-27-andrea-johnson-requests-immediate-release-from-idac-post/) and at a time when serious questions about corruption, criminal networks, governance and institutional weakness have been placed under intense public scrutiny.

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi have exposed just how much is at stake.

In terms of the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act, Idac has a clear and important mandate: to investigate and prosecute serious, high-profile and complex corruption, commercial and financial crime and, where appropriate, institute criminal proceedings. Yet in recent times, the disturbing perception has emerged that those doing the investigating are themselves being investigated, or should be investigated.

This cannot become the defining character of an institution established to fight corruption.

We should not, however, allow these developments to leave the public with the impression that our institutions are incapable of correcting themselves.

### This is where Idac’s new leadership matters

Vanara brings more than 25 years of experience in Parliament, state institutions and in other highly regulated environments. He served as a legal adviser in Parliament and currently serves as Chief Legal Counsel at the Special Investigating Unit. He has also been an evidence leader in major parliamentary inquiries, including the SABC Board inquiry and the Eskom inquiry into State Capture and maladministration.

This is not simply an impressive CV. It is experience forged in institutions under intense public and political scrutiny, dealing with evidence, accountability and difficult questions when the pressure is high. That experience will now be tested in a new environment.

Vanara cannot be expected to fix everything overnight. Nor should the public expect one individual to repair institutional weaknesses accumulated over time. But he has been given an opportunity to set a different tone and direction.

### Idac redemption

That redemption cannot come through public statements or promises. It must come through the work. Part of that work must be confronting the rot that may still remain within the institution. Idac must clean house where necessary for renewal to have meaning and public trust to be restored. This does not mean casting suspicion over every official. It means confronting practices, attitudes, systems and conduct that undermine the institution’s integrity and effectiveness.

Where there are weaknesses, they must be confronted. Where there are conflicts of interest, they must be dealt with. Where there has been misconduct, there must be accountability. An institution established to fight corruption cannot afford to tolerate dysfunction, compromised processes or a culture that allows a lack of accountability to take root within its own ranks.

You cannot credibly clean up corruption outside an institution if you are unwilling to clean up what is wrong inside it. The new leadership must therefore build an Idac that is professional, disciplined and uncompromising on integrity. The institution must demonstrate that it is independent.

It must have the investigative capacity to pursue complex corruption without fear, favour or prejudice. It must strengthen cooperation with the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and other criminal justice institutions.

### Idac must deliver results

South Africans have heard enough about allegations of corruption. They want to see credible investigations, properly tested evidence and cases taken forward through due process. Where corruption has occurred, accountability must follow. Where allegations cannot be substantiated, that must also be established through proper investigation. That is what an independent and professional institution does.

Idac cannot afford to become consumed by institutional disputes or perceptions of dysfunction. Criminal networks will not wait for government institutions to resolve their internal problems. Every day that institutions are distracted, divided or weakened creates an opportunity for those seeking to undermine the state. The answer, however, is not for Parliament to dictate investigations or interfere in operational matters.

### Parliament’s oversight responsibility

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development will closely monitor Idac’s progress. We will look at whether it has the capacity to pursue complex corruption investigations, whether it is cooperating effectively with other criminal justice institutions and, most importantly, whether it is delivering tangible outcomes.

We also expect the eventual process to appoint a permanent head of Idac to be transparent, credible and based on merit. The acting appointment should not become an excuse for delay. It should be used to stabilise the institution while a credible permanent leadership process is concluded. South Africa has reached a point where institutional renewal cannot simply mean replacing one person with another.

### Renewal must be measurable

It must be visible in the quality of investigations, the professionalism of officials, the independence of decision-making and the ability to take complex corruption matters forward. It must also be visible in what Idac is prepared to do about its own weaknesses.

The Madlanga Commission and the work of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee have created an opportunity to confront uncomfortable truths about our criminal justice system. The country must now move beyond exposure. We must build institutions capable of responding to what has been exposed. That includes removing the rot that has weakened public confidence, strengthening internal accountability and ensuring that those entrusted with fighting corruption understand that they themselves are not above scrutiny.

### Integrity is key to renewal

Idac has a new leader, even if it’s an acting head. More importantly, it has a new opportunity. Advocate Vanara must be given the space to lead, but he must also be held to the highest standards. Parliament will do its part through rigorous oversight. The public will do its part by demanding accountability.

Ultimately, Idac will have to prove itself through its actions. A change in leadership can open the door to renewal. Only performance, integrity and results can restore trust. Idac now has that chance. It must use it to redeem its credibility, remove what is rotten, strengthen the fight against corruption and remind South Africans why an institution such as Idac is necessary in the first place.

The time for renewal is now. **DM**