Chief of Staff Cedric Nkabinde found himself under heavy scrutiny in Parliament after admitting that key dates in his sworn affidavit were “thumb-sucked” because his electronic devices had been confiscated. His admission immediately raised doubts about the credibility of his testimony regarding meetings between Minister Senzo Mchunu and businessman Brown Mogotsi.
Speaking before the ad hoc committee, Nkabinde explained that he had relied on estimation when drafting his affidavit because he had no access to his phone or laptop. He said he had informed evidence leaders that he could not be precise, and they advised him to provide approximate dates.
The core of the confusion revolved around whether the first meeting between Mchunu and Mogotsi happened in September or sometime between October and November 2024. Initially, Nkabinde suggested that he only received Mogotsi’s contact information later in the year. But committee members pointed out contradictions in his affidavit, which stated that Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi phoned him as early as September 2024 about Mogotsi.
MPs pressed him on these inconsistencies. MK Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo highlighted that Nkabinde’s earlier statement directly conflicted with what he was now saying. Faced with this, Nkabinde admitted his affidavit may contain incorrect dates and apologized, insisting the errors stemmed from lack of access to his devices.
He added that the meeting between Mchunu and Mogotsi likely took place before a September 30 trip to Lusikisiki, but several MPs were visibly frustrated by the shifting timeline. EFF leader Julius Malema accused him of misleading Parliament, warning that changing sworn information could amount to lying under oath. Malema urged him to withdraw the affidavit and write a new one.
ANC MP Mdumiseni Ntuli questioned why Nkabinde had specified October and November if he was uncertain. Nkabinde repeated that he had been guided to estimate. MPs argued that this kind of vague recollection weakened the entire purpose of the inquiry.
ActionSA MP Dereleen James expressed frustration, asking how the committee could continue with testimony built on “thumb-sucked dates.” EFF MP Leigh-Ann Mathys went further, warning that the contradictions were not just errors—they could constitute perjury.
Nkabinde maintained that he was transparent about his uncertainty from the beginning and blamed the lack of access to his confiscated gadgets for the inaccuracies. Despite his explanation and apology, several MPs insisted that the contradictions had undermined both his credibility and the integrity of the committee’s work.
The EFF has since opened a perjury case against Nkabinde at the Cape Town police station.