If a politician associates himself or herself with people linked to criminal activities, his or her political career could be over.

This is according to Zakhele Ndlovu, a lecturer in political and governance studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who was commenting on suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, telling Parliament that he was given an affidavit by Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala who is currently in a maximum security prison, on attempted murder charges. 

Parliament’s ad hoc committee is investigating KwaZulu-Natal police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegation that Mchunu’s decision to single-handedly disband the police’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was political interference.

Mkhwanazi has also accused Mchunu of colluding with the criminal underworld, saying his association with tenderpreneur Matlala is evidence of this.

During Mchunu’s testimony on Tuesday, he confirmed that attempted murder suspect Matlala gave him an affidavit, saying that they were not associated. 

EFF leader Julius Malema, who was questioning Mchunu, described the sharing of the affidavit as ‘morally and ethically wrong for a person with ministerial status’. 

During the debate, Malema accused Mchunu of giving South Africans three statements, which contradicted each other about how he had obtained Motlala’s affidavit. 

He said that Mchunu first told the committee that his lawyers acted without his instructions to approach Matlala looking for the affidavit; then that Mchunu had confirmed giving his lawyers the instruction and finally that Matlala had submitted the affidavit without invitation. 

Malema said if Mchunu’s lawyers acted without an instruction, they would have to be reported to the Legal Practice Council (LPC) “because there is no lawyer that can listen to you and without you giving instruction act out of feeling go to maximum security prison and get an affidavit from a dangerous man.” 

Malema said on hearing the threats (of legal recourse) against his lawyers, Mchunu changed his statement, saying “no, I gave them an instruction”.

“Matlala was found with a phone in a maximum security prison.

“Matlala produces an affidavit for the minister from maximum security prison,” said Malema. 

“The country is troubled by this, (that) ministers have access to dangerous criminals even if they are behind bars in a maximum security prison,” Malema said to Mchunu.

His response was that he needed the affidavit to distance himself from Matlala.

Mchunu said the affidavit was born out of a discussion between his lawyers and Matlala’s lawyers, which he described as legal and proper in terms of exchanging documents between the lawyers. 

“Not that they traveled (to meet Matlala), not that there is anything illegal.

“People on a daily basis write anything on a dotted line…I don’t understand what they mean because nobody out there has any confirmation of anything between me and Mr Matlala. Absolutely nothing,” said Mchunu.

Ndlovu said any communication between Mchunu’s lawyers and Matlala was “morally reprehensible”. 

“He (Mchunu) dissociates himself from him (Matlala), but at the same time, he is associating himself with him.

“Why does he need help from a person he claims to have nothing to do with?” said Ndlovu 

“Once you are found to have a connection with shoddy characters, your political career is over because that means that you cannot be trusted,” said Ndlovu.

bongani.hans@inl.co.za

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