The National Assembly on Wednesday night unanimously agreed to form an Ad Hoc Committee tasked with investigating the serious allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

This decision comes after the adoption of a report from the portfolio committees on Police and Justice and Constitutional Development, which were requested to consider the appropriate approach to deal with the allegations.

ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli announced that the 11-member committee will consist of four members from the ANC, two each from the DA and the MK Party, one member from the EFF, and two representatives to be recommended by other parties.

Ntuli said the committee will report to the National Assembly by not later than October 31.

He said the committee’s terms of reference included the alleged unlawful decision by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband the Political Killings Task Team, the alleged unlawful removal of 121 case dockets from the Political Killings Task Team on the direction of Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, and the alleged moratorium by Mchunu on filling vacancies within the SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit.

Others are the nature and implications of the relationship between SAPS senior leadership and certain members of the public, whether the award of the R360 million contract to Vusumuzi Matlala’s company for the provision of healthcare services to SAPS was irregular.

The committee will also look into the alleged interference by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption in police matters, including judicial issues, and also consider the need for legislative policy and institutional reform to restore public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Parties have thrown their weight behind the Ad Hoc Committee.

ANC MP Samuel Moela said the allegations made by Mkhwanazi cannot be left unexamined.

“General Mkhwanazi’s assertion, if accurate, paints a disturbing picture of how certain elements might be undermining the integrity of law enforcement institutions for political or personal gain.

“Parliament has both the responsibility and the authority to get to the bottom of these claims, not for political point scoring, but to protect the democratic institutions so many South Africans fought to build,” Moela said.

DA deputy spokesperson on police, Lisa Schickerling, said the evidence Mkhwanazi presented raised the greatest questions about the conduct of Mchunu, Sibiya, senior police officers, and even members of the judiciary.

“The National Assembly must hold the executive to account, even in the face of parallel investigations. We welcome the urgency with which this House has resolved to independently oversee the political and institutional dimensions of this crisis,” said Schickerling.

MK Party’s Sibonelo Nomvalo saluted Mkhwanazi for taking on the perceived untouchables by exposing criminal syndicates within the criminal justice system.

“Our clarion call is that Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi must appear before the Ad Hoc Committee in Parliament and expose all the police officers, prosecutors, judges, Members of Parliament, and all officials in the Department of Police who are in cahoots with criminals,” he said.

“An allegation by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi against judges justifies our valid call for a lifestyle audit against judges. It is our firm belief that judges are human beings. They are not a paragon of morality, and therefore are corruptible honourable members,” Nomvalo said.

EFF MP Rebecca Mohlala said the SAPS was a seriously compromised service, and its top brass enabled the capture of the institution for nefarious reasons.

Mohlala said Parliament should get to the bottom of the allegations and reassert its role in providing oversight to the executive.

“We support the recommendation of the report for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to conduct an inquiry to get to the bottom of corruption,” she said.

 mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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