Xola Nqola: No One Cleared as Parliament Rejects Draft Police Corruption Report
A fierce dispute has erupted over Parliament’s investigation into South Africa’s policing and intelligence crisis, with ANC Member of Parliament Xola Nqola insisting that no individual has been cleared or vindicated, despite widespread reports suggesting otherwise.
His intervention comes after media coverage claimed that a draft parliamentary report had effectively exonerated several senior political and police figures linked to one of the country’s most closely watched investigations.
Nqola has now dismissed those claims, stressing that the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee rejected the revised draft report outright because it failed to reflect members’ written submissions and agreed amendments.
“The documents presented during committee proceedings remain working drafts,” Nqola said. “They do not represent the committee’s final position.”
Draft Report Rejected Before Adoption
According to Nqola, the Secretariat’s revised report was rejected in its entirety after committee members concluded that it did not adequately incorporate their recommendations.
He urged the public and the media not to interpret preliminary documents as final parliamentary findings.
“The definitive, unredacted report will only be released after it has been amended, formally adopted and signed off by committee members,” he said.
His statement serves as a direct response to reports suggesting the committee had already reached conclusions that cleared individuals implicated during the inquiry.
Inquiry Sparked by Mkhwanazi’s Explosive Allegations
The parliamentary investigation was launched after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made explosive allegations regarding the dismantling of the Political Killings Task Team.
The specialised unit was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 to investigate political assassinations that had plagued KwaZulu-Natal.
Mkhwanazi questioned what he described as the irrational and irregular decision to dissolve the task team, raising concerns about political interference in police operations.
Those allegations rapidly evolved into a broader parliamentary investigation examining the relationship between political leadership, police management and intelligence structures.
Senzo Mchunu Faces Continued Scrutiny
The inquiry placed former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu under intense political and legal scrutiny.
Mchunu was placed on special leave after allegations that he exceeded his constitutional authority by issuing directives that resulted in the dissolution of the Political Killings Task Team.
According to Nqola, committee members remained united on several significant findings despite rejecting the latest draft report.
Among them was the conclusion that Mchunu exceeded his statutory powers when issuing three directives that effectively disbanded the specialised unit.
The committee also maintained that the moratorium on filling vacancies within Crime Intelligence amounted to unlawful interference in independent police operations.
Crime Intelligence and State Security Under the Spotlight
The investigation expanded well beyond the fate of the Political Killings Task Team.
Parliament examined the freeze on appointments within Crime Intelligence, with critics arguing that the staffing moratorium weakened national security structures and undermined operational effectiveness.
Nqola said committee members remained highly critical of what they viewed as political overreach into operational policing.
He also criticised outside individuals attempting to influence intelligence matters.
The draft report noted that political activist Fadiel Adams had no legal authority to intervene in intelligence operations or make unverified bribery allegations, including claims involving a so called “brown envelope”.
Controversial Findings Trigger Political Backlash
The controversy intensified after the Ad Hoc Committee released a second preliminary draft report on Tuesday.
The draft concluded that investigators found no proven corrupt agreement or direct connection between Mchunu and organised crime syndicates.
It also found no evidence linking suspended Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya to underworld cartels.
However, the report referred unresolved integrity concerns involving Sibiya to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
Investigators also identified serious governance failures surrounding the Medicare24 procurement process.
While acknowledging institutional weaknesses within the National Prosecuting Authority and parts of the judiciary, the draft stated there was no conclusive evidence that either institution had been captured by organised crime.
Opposition Parties Reject the Draft
The findings have prompted strong criticism from opposition parties, including the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and ActionSA.
They argue that the draft report omits crucial evidence, downplays key allegations and protects members of the Government of National Unity.
Several committee members have since instructed the drafting team to prepare a third version of the report.
They want additional evidence included, particularly material relating to forensic investigators, witness intimidation and other issues they believe were overlooked in earlier drafts.
Final Report Still Pending
Nqola has appealed for patience while Parliament completes its work.
He stressed that no official conclusions have yet been adopted and warned against treating preliminary documents as the committee’s final verdict.
Until the report is formally amended, approved and adopted, he said, claims that anyone has been cleared remain premature.
With allegations involving political interference, organised crime and the integrity of South Africa’s policing institutions still under scrutiny, the committee’s final report is expected to face intense public and political examination once it is eventually released.
