With the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into political interference in the criminal justice system preparing to submit its preliminary report to President Cyril Ramaphosa, it is apparent that some of the allegations levelled at suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu will prove difficult, if not impossible, to sustain. Other aspects, however, could leave the president with uncomfortable decisions to make. At the heart of the inquiry is a wide-ranging set of claims made by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Among them is the explosive allegation that Mchunu disbanded the police’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) in order to protect members of a criminal syndicate so they could bankroll his ambition to contest the ANC presidency. The allegation is as dramatic as it is damaging. If substantiated, it would not merely end Mchunu’s political career, but would also raise profound questions about the integrity of the state’s security institutions.
Yet as the hearings have progressed, it has become evident that the dramatic nature of the allegation is not supported by equally dramatic evidence. Indeed, of all the witnesses who have appeared before the commission, not a single individual has submitted even the smallest piece of evidence linking Mchunu to the criminal underworld. Even alleged criminal boss Vusi “Cat” Matlala, widely rumoured to have been the source of funds that supposedly supported Mchunu’s political activities, categorically denied having funded any ANC internal election campaign associated with the suspended minister.
Read Full Article on The Witness
[paywall]
He also denied any personal contact with Mchunu. One need not be a seasoned lawyer to conclude that it is highly unlikely that the commission will find against Mchunu on this aspect of Mkhwanazi’s claims. Commissions of inquiry, like courts, cannot make adverse findings on suspicion, rumour or political convenience. They require facts, and in this part of the case, facts are conspicuously absent.
[/paywall]
