ANALYSIS: Why a security expert says Johnson can step aside to save IDAC

By Marcus Moloko

The future of South Africa’s anti-corruption directorate, IDAC, hangs in the balance as its head, Advocate Andrea Johnson, faces mounting allegations of misconduct.

Security expert Edred de Klerk has urged Johnson to voluntarily step aside, warning that failure to do so could result in her removal by the executive.

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At the heart of the debate is whether Johnson should persist in her role or temporarily relinquish it to protect the credibility of the institution she leads.

De Klerk’s argument is rooted in both principle and pragmatism. He insists that Johnson, now an accused person before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, must recognize that the office she occupies is “bigger than [her]” and that by stepping aside, she would:

• Preserve institutional integrity in that IDAC is South Africa’s frontline anti-corruption body, having its chief embroiled in