The head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, has accused the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee of not carrying out its duty since it was unable to summon Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the police commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), to testify as a witness in its continuing investigation. At a press conference held at Parliament on Tuesday, Malema criticised the committee’s lack of transparency and accountability, calling it a “deliberate failure” that prevented them from presenting one of the investigation’s most important figures.
He emphasised that the investigation lost all credibility and integrity due to Mkhwanazi’s absence, as he possesses vital information regarding the province’s policing issues and security failings. Rather than being an oversight, Malema characterised the inability to get Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi’s evidence as a betrayal of justice.
This is the same cop who oversaw the police force in KwaZulu-Natal during its most dangerous moments. Parliament in South Africa has ignored the importance of his voice and has not brought him before the public. In the wake of public upheaval and claims of mismanagement within law enforcement structures, the Ad Hoc Committee is responsible for investigating governance, policing, and security failures.
Malema maintained that Mkhwanazi’s evidence might answer important issues about the SAPS’s information collecting, operational readiness, and accountability. African National Congress (ANC) senior leaders were allegedly shielded from examination by the ruling party, according to Malema. The ANC is shielding the liars from our people’s justice. They are aware that unsettling facts regarding the breakdown of law enforcement will be exposed if Mkhwanazi makes an appearance.
“This committee has now become a feeble entity that is unable to ensure that the powerful are held accountable,” he stated. The head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) went on to say that South Africans needed answers, not excuses, and that the legitimacy of Parliament was at stake. The committee’s failure, he said, was emblematic of a larger climate of impunity in public institutions, where responsibility is frequently disregarded in favour of short-term political gains.
The committee’s treatment of witness appearances has been a source of worry for civil society organisations and opposition parties, who have demanded immediate changes to bolster the oversight processes of Parliament. Experts have also speculated that the lack of Mkhwanazi might severely undermine the investigation’s conclusions and leave important issues unanswered.
Finally, Malema reiterated that the EFF will not back down from its demand for transparency. The purpose of parliament is to represent the interests of the people, not the powerful. Regardless of how the ANC feels about it, we will not stop until the truth comes out. The Ad Hoc Committee has not officially said why Mkhwanazi did not show up or if they will try to get him to testify again.
