Incoming Police Minister Cachalia to address explosive allegations with Mkhwanazi
Image: Bongiwe Mchunu / Independent Media
Soon-to-be acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia says he will meet with KZN police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to discuss his "unusual" but 'serious' allegations of political interference in police operations and protection of criminals.
Cachalia, who is set to take over the Police Ministry in August after retiring from the University of the Witwatersrand, made these remarks during an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Gwede Mantashe as acting Minister of Police, while he retains his role in Mineral and Petroleum Resources.
This follows explosive allegations in which Mkhwanazi accused Deputy Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya of colluding with information dealer Brown Mogotsi and Mchunu to dismantle the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team.
He claimed Mchunu disbanded the unit in March, halting 121 active dockets tied to political murders.
Mkhwanazi presented WhatsApp messages, SAPS documents, and cellphone records as evidence.
Mchunu, in a December 2024 letter to Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, stated that the unit had 'outlived its usefulness.'
However, Masemola has since denied dissolving the unit.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad Loading
In response to the scandal, President Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on special leave and established a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
Sibiya was also placed on special leave by Masemola while an internal police investigation proceeds.
When asked whether Mkhwanazi overstepped his role by publicly airing the allegations, Cachalia acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
'I think when I meet him, I will say to him, I will ask him, because his decision to call that press conference was highly unusual.'
'Certainly, in the ordinary course of his duties and responsibilities, a person in his position should not act in that way,' he said.
'But in the circumstances that he found himself in, he decided that he needed to make these allegations public.'
'They're very serious…and if it turns out that there was merit to these allegations, then we will be able to see in retrospect that he was perfectly justified in doing what he did,' he added.
IOL News previously reported that Cachalia said he could hear his mobile phone ringing, but he ignored the incessant incoming calls as he was glued to the television, watching the Wimbledon final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Cachalia relived the time he finally answered the phone call by the Presidency, and Ramaphosa informed him about the epic appointment into Cabinet.
"It was Sunday. I was relaxing, watching sport, Wimbledon, and I was looking forward to football. I have a loft upstairs where the phone was being charged and it has a very slight ring tone. I heard the ringtone from time to time but I ignored the call because I was charging the phone. It turns out that the Presidency had been trying to get hold of me for much of the day," Cachalia spoke to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
"Eventually, they got hold of my brother, Justice Cachalia, he called, but I was ignoring the phone actually. I am not gonna be able to do that anymore. Then they got hold of my wife, and my wife happened to be sitting with me in the lounge, watching the tennis with me. From then on, we were able to understand that the president was trying to get hold of me.
'I believe at around 6 or 6:30 (pm) he got hold of me and explained to me that he was going to appoint me in this portfolio. I had to explain to him that in fact I am currently the director of the Mandela Institute at Wits in the law school, and that I was retiring in the institute at the end of this month, which is why he had to make the appointment effective from August," he said.
The 66-year-old said once Ramaphosa informed him of the appointment, there was no hint of hesitation on taking up the new challenge.
'It was a surprise of course, I didn't expect something like this. I have been an academic for, I think, 15 years or so, after serving about 15 years in the Gauteng government. Before that, from a very young age, I gave my all really to the priority which was always political change in the country.
"To be appointed in this portfolio is a great honour for me. I am very appreciative that the president has expressed some confidence in my ability. I do feel humbled, slightly daunted, but I am going to tackle the challenge with all my energy,' Cachalia said.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
8 minutes ago
- The South African
Domestic helper arrested after stealing designer items in viral video
A Tshwane woman has posted a series of TikTok videos in which she had her domestic helper arrested for stealing her designer clothing, alcohol, and household items. The clips, which were posted over the weekend, went viral and received over a million views. On TikTok, user @brasco posted several videos about discovering how the family's domestic helper had stolen a vast amount of her personal items from her Mamelodi East home. This included bottles of alcohol like Ice Tropez and Veuve Clicquot, designer Burberry T-shirts, and household items like detergents and hardware. 'Prioritise checking your helper's bags when they leave to go on holiday. You'll be shocked', the TikToker posted in a video amassing almost one million views. In another, with close to two million views, police arrive to arrest the domestic helper. @brascoza ♬ original sound – KHADEAIR @brascoza ♬ LEMENEMENE – King Monada Others reveal how the woman emptied the contents of her helper's bags to discover her items inside. The woman claimed she felt inclined to search the bags of her Lesotho-born domestic helper after another incident a few weeks prior. @brascoza ♬ original sound – brasco In the comment section, viewers were shocked at the volume of goods stolen by the domestic helper. However, the woman's decision to call the police and have her employee arrested had mixed views. Some felt sorry for the helper and felt that involving the police was unnecessary. @Morekotholethoko: 'The salaries we pay these people are so little. I wouldn't call the police on her. I will be a bit more gracious.' @Jackie: 'She envied having this life, that's why she did whatever she did. Forgive her' Others felt the domestic helper's actions justified the outcome. @luvleigh_leigh: 'Theft is a criminal offence.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
38 minutes ago
- Daily Maverick
The price of going viral – when political activism becomes very expensive
In an age where a single WhatsApp message can mobilise protesters and a Facebook post can shape public opinion about workplace disputes, the traditional boundaries between political activism and trade union representation are blurring in ways that would have been unimaginable a generation ago. The recent labour court judgment in Boomerang Fruits (Pty) Ltd v Umkhonto weSizwe and Others offers a stark reminder that these boundaries exist for good reasons and that crossing them can have serious legal consequences – particularly when amplified through digital platforms that can transform minor workplace grievances into viral political campaigns. From payroll error to digital political theatre The case began with a seemingly mundane payroll error. Agricultural workers at a fruit farm in Elgin in the Western Cape were underpaid overtime wages ranging from R120 to R176 per person – hardly the stuff of revolutionary politics. Yet within days, this minor administrative mistake had escalated into a full-blown industrial dispute involving police escorts, highway blockades, criminal charges and a sophisticated digital media campaign that branded the employer across multiple online platforms as racist and colonial. The transformation was breathtakingly swift. What might once have taken weeks of careful union organisation now unfolded in real time across social media networks. The Umkhonto weSizwe party (MK) didn't simply insert itself into the dispute – it digitally amplified it, using Facebook posts, press releases and WhatsApp groups to craft a narrative that reached far beyond the farm gates of the Western Cape. The digital disruption of industrial relations The involvement of the MK party demonstrates how political parties have learned to exploit the digital revolution in ways that fundamentally challenge traditional industrial relations. When employees contacted the party for assistance, the MK party didn't simply offer advice or direct workers to appropriate legal channels. Instead, it created a parallel digital infrastructure that bypassed established negotiation mechanisms entirely. The party's WhatsApp communications coordinated meetings with management, its Facebook posts generated public sympathy for workers, and its press releases shaped media coverage – all while maintaining the pretence of merely providing 'advisory' support. This digital orchestration allowed the MK party to function as a shadow trade union while avoiding the legal responsibilities that formal representation would entail. Judge Robert Lagrange's judgment methodically dissected this digital strategy, concluding that the MK party had 'consistently assumed the role of the representative of the strikers' while simultaneously 'launching a media attack on Boomerang, portraying it in villainous terms'. The court recognised that in the digital age, representation isn't just about formal negotiations – it's about controlling the narrative that shapes public perception and influences the balance of power. The legal principle at stake is both simple and profound, but its application has become infinitely more complex in the digital era. South Africa's industrial relations system was designed for an analogue world where disputes unfolded in board rooms and on factory floors, not on social media platforms where every statement can be screenshot, shared and weaponised. The social media amplification effect The court's analysis of the MK party's digital campaign reveals how social media has fundamentally altered the dynamics of labour disputes. Traditional negotiation assumes a degree of privacy that allows parties to make concessions without losing face publicly. Digital platforms destroy this privacy, creating performative pressures that make compromise virtually impossible. The MK party's Facebook posts describing the company as a 'colonial nest' and 'active site of colonial exploitation' weren't just political rhetoric – they were strategic digital content designed to generate shares, comments and viral engagement. The party understood that in the attention economy, inflammatory language performs better than nuanced analysis. The result was a digital firestorm that bore little resemblance to the original overtime payment dispute. WhatsApp democracy and workplace organising Perhaps most significantly, the case highlights how WhatsApp has become a significant organising tool for both legitimate trade union activity and political interference. The MK party's use of WhatsApp groups to coordinate with workers, arrange meetings and distribute talking points created an informal, but highly effective communication network that traditional employers and unions struggle to understand or counter. This 'WhatsApp democracy' operates outside formal industrial relations structures, creating new possibilities for worker organisation, but also new vulnerabilities to political manipulation. The platform's end-to-end encryption makes it nearly impossible for employers to understand how disputes are being coordinated, while its group messaging functionality allows political parties to influence large numbers of workers simultaneously. The judgment also reveals how digital platforms have created expectations of real-time transparency that clash with the traditionally private nature of labour negotiations. The MK party's social media strategy assumed that followers expected constant updates, behind-the-scenes content and immediate responses to developments. This digital transparency imperative makes the patient, confidential work of genuine dispute resolution nearly impossible. When every negotiation session can be livestreamed, every concession can be immediately scrutinised by online audiences, and every statement can be taken out of context and shared widely, the incentives shift dramatically towards performative confrontation rather than problem-solving. Political parties, with their natural understanding of digital engagement, are far better positioned to exploit these dynamics than traditional trade unions or employers. Digital accountability and legal consequences Judge Lagrange's decision to confirm the interdict against the MK party represents one of the first serious judicial attempts to grapple with how digital platforms are reshaping labour relations. The court recognised that social media posts and WhatsApp messages aren't just commentary – they constitute active participation in labour disputes with real legal consequences. The costs order against the MK party is particularly significant in the digital context. By requiring the party to pay the employer's legal costs, the court has established that viral social media campaigns carry financial risks. This digital accountability principle could fundamentally alter how political parties approach online labour activism. The broader implications extend far beyond this single case. Digital platforms don't just amplify existing power dynamics – they create entirely new ones. Political parties that master social media engagement can mobilise workers more effectively than traditional trade unions, but they lack the institutional knowledge and legal obligations that make genuine representation possible. The result is what might be called 'algorithm activism' – political engagement optimised for digital metrics rather than real-world outcomes. The MK party's campaign generated thousands of shares and comments, but it ultimately prolonged the dispute and harmed the workers it claimed to represent. The digital medium had become the message, drowning out the substance of legitimate workplace grievances. Towards digital industrial relations As South Africa grapples with persistent inequality and workplace exploitation, the intersection of digital technology and labour relations will only become more complex. The Boomerang Fruits case provides a crucial precedent for how courts might approach political parties that use social media to blur the lines between advocacy and representation. The challenge ahead is developing industrial relations frameworks that can harness the democratising potential of digital platforms while preventing their exploitation by political opportunists. This will require new forms of digital literacy among trade unionists, employers and judges, as well as clearer legal guidelines about what constitutes impermissible political interference in the social media age. The labour court's firm stance in this case demonstrates that legal principles can adapt to technological change, but only if we remain vigilant about protecting the institutional boundaries that make effective labour relations possible.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
EFF welcomes Parliamentary Committee to investigate corruption and infiltration in law enforcement
EFF supports parliamentary investigation into law enforcement corruption Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has expressed its support for the newly established Ad Hoc Committee in the South African National Assembly, tasked with investigating serious allegations of corruption, criminal syndicate infiltration, and political interference within the country's law enforcement agencies. The committee is set to commence its work on Tuesday. In a statement issued on Monday by EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, the party lauded the move as a critical step toward addressing the deep-rooted issues plaguing South Africa's justice system. The party warned that the committee's formation aligns with the EFF's longstanding call for a transparent and urgent parliamentary investigation into explosive revelations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. "We welcome the National Assembly's unanimous resolution to establish this committee, as a necessary first step in unearthing the rot that has destroyed the very foundations of justice and accountability in this country," Thambo stated. He underscored that the investigation will focus on the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team and other critical issues raised by Mkhwanazi, highlighting concerns over relationships between senior police leadership and certain members of the public, as well as infiltration into the judiciary. Thambo warned that the revelations threaten to erode public trust in South Africa's criminal justice system. "This is about whether South Africans can believe that the institutions charged with protecting them are not themselves captured by criminal interests," he said. The EFF leader also criticised Parliament's previous shortcomings, citing failures to act decisively during pivotal moments, such as the Section 89 independent report on the Phala Phala scandal and responses to the State Capture Commission's findings. "These failures highlight how Parliament often functions less as an independent oversight body and more as an extension of the Executive," Thambo remarked. He stressed the importance of the committee's leadership and composition. Given the gravity of the allegations, including potential misconduct by the Minister of Police and other senior government figures, the EFF advocates for a chairperson who is not affiliated with the Government of National Unity (GNU). "The credibility of this committee depends on its independence," Thambo asserted. The party called on all committee members to prioritise truth and transparency over political allegiance. "This is an opportunity for Parliament to demonstrate that it can rise above partisanship and serve the national interest," Thambo urged. The EFF also pledged full participation in the investigation, vowing to scrutinise all officials and ensure that no one, regardless of rank or party, is shielded from accountability. "We will ensure that South Africa's policing and justice systems are restored to serve the people, free from corruption and criminal influence," Thambo affirmed. [email protected] IOL Politics
