President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement has sparked criticism from major political parties after placing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence.
The move follows explosive claims made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that implicated Mchunu in interfering with high-level investigations into political killings, allegedly working with criminal networks, and ordering the disbandment of the political killing task team without proper authorisation.
While Ramaphosa also announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry into the allegations, the decision to place Mchunu on leave instead of immediate dismissal has caused outrage among the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK Party), EFF, DA, and the Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA).
The MK Party spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, asserted that the appointment of Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, demonstrated Ramaphosa’s allegiance to meddling in state affairs.
According to him, Cachalia is the chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council and works closely with Corruption Watch, which is supported by the Oppenheimer family, whom he has reason to believe is close to Ramaphosa.
“The announcement is politically dodgy because Ramaphosa himself is a fugitive from justice and a criminal suspect for his alleged contravention of our corruption laws in respect of his Phala Phala shenanigans and is dilly-dallying around Mchunu only because of their factional affinities,” Ndhlela said.
“We must recall that Mchunu recently announced a strange decision to classify and seal the Phala Phala investigation report.
“This reeks of nothing else but political patronage by Ramaphosa to Mchunu, and the main reason Ramaphosa failed to fire Mchunu even though he lied to parliament.”
Threat to fight in court
He also criticises judicial commissions of inquiry, saying they have never resulted in convictions or tangible outcomes.
He said the MK Party is making legal consultations to overturn Ramaphosa’s announcement in the Constitutional Court and further demand that he withdraw it by the latest Wednesday at 10am.
“Failing which, the matter will be pursued vigorously in the courts, in parliament, and most importantly, on the streets of South Africa.
“As we wait for the final legal advice, we have simultaneously mandated our parliamentary representatives to take all the necessary steps to move a motion of no confidence on the cowardly Ramaphosa as soon as possible,” said Ndhlela.
Sinawo Thambo, an EFF spokesperson, described the move as a cowardly deflection and accused Ramaphosa of shielding Mchunu, despite his alleged involvement in organised crime being publicised.
“Mchunu is no longer just a political figure — he is the face of an entrenched criminal syndicate operating within the state,” Thambo said.
“He is directly implicated in ordering the disbandment of the political killings task team, a highly effective investigative unit that had handled over 600 politically motivated cases, secured over 100 convictions, dozens of life sentences, and over 1 800 years in combined prison terms.”
The red berets also argued against the appointment of Cachalia, who is not a current member of the cabinet.
Abuse of state resources
Thambo claimed that this appointment violates Section 98 of the constitution, which he believes indicates that only a sitting minister may be assigned the functions of another.
He said Section 91(3)(c) also does not allow for an acting minister to be from outside parliament.
“The decision is not only illegal; it is also a flagrant abuse of state resources. It allows Senzo Mchunu to continue drawing a full ministerial salary under the guise of ‘special leave’, while the president unlawfully bloats the cabinet by appointing someone not lawfully entitled to serve in that role.
“The South African people are being forced to fund the lavish lifestyle of a criminal while he consolidates power and undermines whistleblowers from behind the scenes.”
DA leader John Steenhuisen welcomed the special leave announcement but criticised the commission of inquiry’s formation, saying these commissions are usually seen as buying time and avoiding accountability.
“The DA will not accept a years-long process that gathered damning evidence only to deliver zero accountability,” said Steenhuisen.
“The country cannot afford another elaborate filing cabinet of findings that gathers dust while the politically connected escape justice.
“The DA will hold the president to account on every finding and recommendation made by this committee, and we will fight in cabinet and parliament for swift and visible action.”
Mechanism of political damage control
The BPSA urged the arrest of the government’s corrupt and compromised officials, rather than the establishment of cover-up commissions of enquiry.
The party’ secretary general, Seun Mogotsi, said: “This move is nothing more than a delaying tactic, a tired and dishonest strategy used by the ruling elite to bury scandals under legal paperwork and endless hearings, with no intention of real accountability or justice. South Africans have been down this road too many times before.
“We remember the Zondo Commission, which cost taxpayers over a billion rands, took years to complete, and produced volumes of damning evidence, yet not a single high-profile politician is behind bars.”
He added that “it has become clear that commissions of inquiry in South Africa are not instruments of justice, but mechanisms of political damage control”.
Mogotsi said if the president was serious about fighting corruption and abuse of power, he would suspend Mchunu immediately pending a criminal investigation and direct the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority to act swiftly and decisively on the allegations.
“He would ensure transparent and public accountability, not closed-door, drawn-out commissions that end in silence.
“We therefore reject this commission as a smokescreen to shield the ANC from internal rot. We call on South Africans to see through this charade,” Mogotsi said.
