MK party tries to pin down Mkhwanazi on Ramaphosa before Parliament’s ad hoc committee

On the second day of his appearance before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Lieutenant General Nhanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive allegations around political interference in criminal investigations, old political scores once again flared up, with the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party trying to centre the focus on President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mkhwanazi was back in front of the committee on Wednesday, 8 October and took questions from MPs throughout the morning. It was the second day of his testimony, following an appearance on Tuesday. 

Read more: Mchunu once quizzed by his chief of staff over evidence destruction in police probe — Mkhwanazi

In contrast to the ongoing Madlanga Commission, MPs had a chance to question Mkhwanazi about his statement and his July media briefing, where he laid out, among others, accusations that a drug cartel based in Gauteng was controlling a high-level criminal syndicate that extended into various state entities, including the police.

Mkhwanazi alleged that the police minister at the time, Senzo Mchunu, along with others including Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, had undermined investigations into political killings.

Those revelations led to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission and the parliamentary ad hoc committee. 

Each MP on the committee has 30 minutes to question Mkhwanazi and during question time, and the MK party wasted no time in talking about Ramaphosa. 

The party challenged the establishment of the Madlanga Commission in court, as well as Ramaphosa’s appointment of Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia. The case was dismissed.

The MK party, the official opposition in Parliament, argued that Ramaphosa failed to meet his constitutional responsibilities by opting not to dismiss Mchunu outright, instead placing him on special leave with full pay and perks, and appointing Cachalia, who is not a Cabinet member, as acting minister.

Read more: Cachalia to be sworn in as police minister after ConCourt dismisses Zuma and MK’s application

On Wednesday, David Skosana (MK) asked if Mkhwanazi agreed that Ramaphosa had failed to act on the issues that have surfaced. According to Skosana, this made Ramaphosa complicit by omission and warranted a criminal inquiry.

Skosana also claimed that “classified briefings were photographed” and this was linked to a civilian close to Mchunu.  

“Should the commander in chief, being the President, be held personally answerable for failing to safeguard this national intelligence?” 

Mkhwanazi responded: “I said this today – you asked me about police management and how to deal with things in the police. I can answer, but you ask about the management of the country. I might have my own opinions, but I’m not in a position to be able to say this, what the President should have done, what he shouldn’t have done.” 

He continued: “I have not been exposed to that level of what it takes to run the country, so it’s going to be difficult for me to say [if] it’s the action of the President in [establishing] the Madlanga Commission is right or not, I don’t know.” 

Mkhwanazi said that as a disciplined police officer, Ramaphosa “remains my commander”.

He said he went through the correct channels to raise his concerns, but “never went to the President directly myself”. 

“So I cannot express [an] opinion on whether he knew and what did he know and how did he react.”

Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola testified at the Madlanga Commission that Ramaphosa had been “taken aback” when informed about the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), which Mkhwanazi alleges was targeted because it was perceived as investigating collusion between law enforcement, criminals and Mchunu.

Read more: Dithering Ramaphosa may have to testify before policing inquiries

Mkhwanazi said that during a recent address in Kimberley, Ramaphosa “said to the media that the PKTT is doing a good job in KZN”. That made Mkhwanazi believe “he is not necessarily in favour of the decision that was taken by the minister [to disband the PKTT] in December last year”.

No recusal as yet for Kohler Barnard 

The DA will seek a legal opinion around the calls for the recusal of its alternate member, Dianne Kohler Barnard, after she was named by Mkhwanazi during his testimony at both the Madlanga Commission and now before the parliamentary committee. 

Speaking at the start of Wednesday’s session, DA MP Ian Cameron said that “no one” would be recusing themselves at the moment. 

This comes as several parties, including the ANC and MK, want the veteran politician to recuse herself from the committee. 

In his testimony before the commission Mkhwanazi claimed that Kohler Bernard appeared to have obtained information that should not have been disseminated, stemming from Crime Intelligence.

He accused Kohler Barnard of breaking the law and “fuelling these malicious attacks” involving Crime Intelligence.

Kohler Barnard said it was “absurd” for Mkhwanazi to suggest that she had been part of a criminal syndicate. 

Cameron said Kohler Bernard would be listening to Wednesday’s meeting virtually in a bid to not disrupt proceedings. 

Mkhwanazi’s appearance before the ad hoc committee continued on Wednesday afternoon. DM