The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) delegation of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is meeting with KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Monday, in what is being described as a high-level engagement aimed at strengthening cooperative governance and bolstering policing in the crime-ridden province.

The meeting, spearheaded by the NCOP’s KZN representatives, comes amid mounting public pressure following Mkhwanazi’s explosive whistleblowing on alleged political interference within the upper ranks of the police service.

Mkhwanzi’s public allegations have led to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu being placed on special leave and the establishment of a parliamentary committee and a presidential judicial commission to investigate the claims.

Despite the timing of the meeting, NCOP KZN provincial whip Mzamo Billy insists that the engagement with police leadership was scheduled long before the recent media storm.

“This meeting was well planned even before Parliament knew that there was going to be this issue. So certainly there’s nothing sinister about that,” Billy said in an interview on Newzroom Afrika.

Billy highlighted that the NCOP’s mandate in this context is to conduct oversight and support the operational capacity of the South African Police Service (SAPS), not to delve into ongoing investigations into political interference.

“By no means, this initiative is meant to get into that. And we will not be discussing the allegations, as that is going to be dealt with by Parliament and the committee that has since been formed by Parliament to look into those issues,” he said.

Among the pressing issues on the agenda are police killings, the lack of resources and vehicles, and the absence of a crime intelligence head in the province , a concern that Mkhwanazi raised publicly, warning that it undermines the SAPS’s ability to preempt and respond to criminal activity effectively.

“Our responsibility is to see if the police have got enough vehicles, have got enough policemen,” Billy said. “We want to know what is being done, how best we can be able to assist.”

According to Billy, the broader purpose is to “bring legislative reforms and bring issues affecting the province to the national Parliament.”

He acknowledged public criticism that the NCOP may be reacting too late to KZN’s chronic violence and crime, but maintained that the delegation has been actively working in the province.

“The NCOP delegation from KZN has been doing its work. It’s not the first time that we are visiting the province. We initiated this process a while ago, even before the provincial commissioner came with these allegations.”

He dismissed suggestions that the NCOP was attempting to appear busy in the wake of public scrutiny, saying: “We’re going to this meeting not to try and duplicate work of Parliament, but more so to assist our police men and women because we care about the safety of our people in the province.”

Billy stressed the need to align legislative reforms with policing realities on the ground, citing the rollout of police body cameras and broader public trust as key areas of focus.

“That requires legislative reforms. Parliament has got a role to play in order to bring those legislative reforms,” he said.

The NCOP delegation is also expected to meet with the provincial premier and the KZN cabinet later in the week. Billy added that a coordinated approach across departments is crucial to combat serious crimes including extortion, construction mafia violence, and abuse against women and children.

He confirmed that the outcomes of Monday’s meeting will be shared publicly.

“Whatever comes out of that meeting must be known by the public,” he said. 

hope.ntanzi@iol.co. za

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