Ad Hoc Committee Deliberations Resume Tonight as Deadline for Mkhwanazi Report Looms
CAPE TOWN: Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Report is expected to resume deliberations on its draft report on Wednesday evening, with just days remaining before its deadline to report to the National Assembly.
The committee was scheduled to continue its deliberations on Tuesday evening, but Parliament announced that the meeting had been postponed to Wednesday evening.
The postponement comes at a crucial stage of the committee’s work as members work through a draft report running to more than 700 pages. Parliament previously extended the committee’s deadline to submit its report to the National Assembly to 11 September 2026.
Mchunu evidence comes under scrutiny
Among the major issues considered during recent deliberations is the evidence of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
According to Parliament, several committee members agreed that Mchunu’s evidence contained what they regarded as material inconsistencies.
A significant part of the deliberations has focused on Mchunu’s directive to disband the Political Killings Task Team, a decision that has been central to allegations examined by the committee.
Mchunu was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 13 July 2025.
The committee has also examined whether the dismantling of the task team and subsequent handling of its case dockets disrupted investigations.
Parliament said members found that docket management, case continuity and evidentiary safeguards were insufficient after Political Killings Task Team dockets were transferred from KwaZulu-Natal to Pretoria.
The committee further found that the transfer materially disrupted investigative and prosecutorial continuity in at least some cases.
Organised crime concerns examined
The committee has also discussed whether the dissolution of the Political Killings Task Team could have benefited organised criminal networks.
Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane stressed that there were no findings against the so-called “Big Five” crime cartels. However, he said the decision to disband the task team had the potential to assist criminal groups with similar intentions.
The distinction is significant as Parliament moves towards completing its report. The committee’s deliberations and draft findings should not be interpreted as criminal convictions or findings of guilt against individuals mentioned during the inquiry.
Mkhwanazi allegations triggered parliamentary investigation
The Ad Hoc Committee was established to investigate wide-ranging security allegations raised by Mkhwanazi.
Its work has included witness testimony, documentary evidence and months of hearings examining policing, political interference, organised crime allegations and the circumstances surrounding the Political Killings Task Team. Parliament’s dedicated committee page contains the inquiry’s terms of reference, witness statements, documents and recordings of proceedings.
With the reporting deadline approaching, attention now turns to which findings and recommendations survive the committee’s final deliberations and are ultimately adopted.
The committee is expected to continue deliberating on Wednesday, 9 September.
