'South Africans tired of commissions of inquiry': parties on Ramaphosa's response to Mkhwanazi allegations
Addressing the nation on Sunday evening, Ramaphosa announced he was placing minister of police Senzo Mchunu on special leave, and said and that Prof Firoz Cachalia would act as police minister.
Ramaphosa also announced he has established a judicial commission of inquiry chaired by acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga to investigate allegations relating to the infiltration of law enforcement, intelligence and associated institutions within the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates.
This comes after explosive allegations levelled against Mchunu by Mkhwanazi last Sunday.
Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of interfering with police investigations and of overstepping his role when he ordered the disbandment of the political killings task team.
ActionSA said it sees no logic in yet another commission of inquiry carrying out work that law enforcement and agencies like Ipid should be doing, especially while the R1bn Zondo commission report into state capture gathers dust as those who committed treason continue to evade justice.
DA leader John Steenhuisen welcomed the new appointment made by Ramaphosa, but also expressed concern over the decision to establish a commission of inquiry.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Steenhuisen said many South Africans are sceptical about commissions of inquiry after the Zondo inquiry produced no convictions, even after people were named.
He added that the public's trust might deteriorate if there is another inquiry that yields no consequences.
GOOD party secretary-general Brett Herron said the appointment of a commission, while well-intentioned, is too slow, too cumbersome and too costly.
'We have walked this road before, most notably with the Zondo commission, and we have seen that a commission of inquiry cannot replace a criminal investigation. The Zondo commission produced volumes of prima facie evidence, which the investigating authorities were then required to investigate before any decision to prosecute could be made,' he said.
Herron said allegations made by Mkhwanazi demand an urgent and credible criminal investigation, not another year-long process the outcomes of which might never be acted on.
RISE Mzansi welcomed the establishment of a commission of inquiry.
The party feels that a judicial commission of inquiry is important because the SAPS and the minister cannot investigate themselves.
'The establishment of this inquiry insulates the process from political contamination,' said Makashule Gana, RISE Mzansi National Assembly caucus whip and member of the portfolio committee on police.
Meanwhile Mchunu has welcomed Ramaphosa's decision to place him on special leave, saying he fully supports the process.
'I welcome and respect the president's decision and pledge my commitment to the process. Honour and integrity are the virtues I personally subscribe to and which we all need to make efforts to uphold. I stand ready to respond to the accusations against me and account to the citizens of the republic, fully and honestly so,' Mchunu said in a statement.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

TimesLIVE
8 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
Madlanga commission to cost taxpayers R147.9m over six months
'The estimated budget for the commission over six months is R147.9m.' On Monday the commission chairperson, acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, said work had started and they were treating the matter with urgency. The commission is set to begin in August, with the first interim report to be submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa within the first three months. Madlanga said the inquiry would sit in Gauteng at a soon-to-be-announced venue, as the commission was still procuring premises. The commission comes after serious allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that police minister Senzo Mchunu and deputy police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya worked in cahoots with criminals. Mchunu and Sibiya have since been placed on 'leave of absence'. Mkhwanazi alleged Mchunu and Sibiya were connected to criminals who run a drug syndicate from Gauteng and they were influenced by criminals to disband the political killings task team which was doing a good job. The commission will also probe: the Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni metropolitan police departments; the National Prosecuting Authority; the SAPS; and the judiciary.


The Citizen
8 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Is GNU to blame for Powell's resignation as DA's international relations spokesperson?
The ANC also slammed Powell for allegedly being sympathetic towards Israel. Questions are being raised after Emma Powell resigned as the DA's international relations spokesperson on Monday. Powell said she decided to step down after being harassed, threatened and intimidated. However, a political analyst from the University of Free State (UFS), Sanet Solomon, said there could be more to Powell's resignation than meets the eye. 'Emma Powell's resignation was rather abrupt given the work that she has been doing for the DA over the past few years. 'While some regard at indicative of the friction between the DA and the ANC, it is possible that she could be leaving for the opposite reason,' she said. Is Powell frustrated with the DA's role in the GNU? Solomon said over the past few weeks the DA has been silent on numerous matters that it would ordinarily be opposed to. She said this could be a sign of the party's willingness to be a 'good team member'. 'It could also indicate that it is straying from its core constituents, goals and values, making it challenging for Emma to continue in her current position,' said Solomon. Powell claimed that her work as the party's spokesperson on international relations has led to her being spied on, harassed and threatened. ANC slams Powell for stance on Israel But ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri questioned these claims. She also criticised Powell for her position on the war in Gaza. 'As the ANC we find it interesting that her non-resignation is receiving more attention than her attempts to whitewash Israel's genocide,' Bhengu-Motsiri said. In her resignation letter, Powell said she had exposed the ANC and the department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) for their relationships with authoritarian regimes. But she has also been criticised for going to Israel on a 'fact finding' mission earlier this year. Powell has been accused of being sympathetic to Israel despite the South African government taking a 'non-aligned' stance when it comes to the war in Gaza. She has been a fierce critic of ANC foreign policy and was also accused of discrediting the country in a trip she took with another senior DA member to the United States (US). Powell says threats are real Speaking to The Citizen on Tuesday, Powell said the threats to her life are real. 'All I can say on record is that I have various levels of protection already and I have for some time,' she said. DA in support of Powell DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp said the party is fully behind Powell. 'The DA is grateful for the outstanding work that Emma Powell has done whilst she served as our spokesperson for international relations and cooperation. 'She remains a valued member of the DA caucus in Parliament, and we will soon announce her new portfolio allocation,' he said. Meanwhile, in response to suggestions that Powell might have been upset by decisions the DA has made since joining the GNU, Aucamp said it is important to keep in mind that no party won elections with an outright majority. 'It is very important that all parties that are members of the GNU respect and adhere to the statement of Intent that was signed when the GNU was formed,' he said. ALSO READ: DA MPs in Israel: 'We do not owe the ANC an explanation' ANC's foreign policy Prof Dirk Kotze from the University of South Africa (Unisa) told The Citizen that the ANC will keep butting heads with the DA over foreign policy because it regards it as its own. 'They have regarded it as their domain since 1994 onwards, especially at the time when Thabo Mbeki was president; that was one of his most important areas of focus,' he said. However, Kotze believes the tension over foreign policy is not strong enough to collapse the GNU. He also indicated that foreign policy was a delicate area and has always been treated with care by all governments around the world. NOW READ: Emma Powell resignation: Here's who will replace her


Eyewitness News
an hour ago
- Eyewitness News
ActionSA unveils service delivery tracker of City of Tshwane
JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA has unveiled a new service delivery tracker for the City of Tshwane, aimed at holding the coalition government accountable. The party said the tool would help residents monitor progress and failures under the multiparty administration led by Mayor Nasiphi Moya. ActionSA currently forms part of the African National Congress (ANC)-led multiparty coalition in the capital, with its councillor, Moya, as mayor. The party previously launched a similar app for tracking the Government of National Unity (GNU). At a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, ActionSA national chairperson, Micheal Beaumont, said the motivation for the tracker was partly due to fighting misinformation around the coalition government. "As a government, ActionSA wants to be held accountable. We don't want to operate in an environment where we simply engage with our voters once every five years. We believe there must be a continuous process and it starts with doing what this GNU government has not done and that's defining your priorities, which is codifying how they should be measured and putting it out there to South Africans and civil society so they can hold you accountable against those standards."