Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale introduced a notable point of friction within the executive communication apparatus by publicly stating his lack of awareness concerning the existence of any operational Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) within the framework of the current seventh administration
. These comments, delivered during a parliamentary oversight session, immediately fueled the ongoing speculation that critical matters of national policy and internal security coordination were being managed through an ad-hoc or unannounced IMC structure composed of various senior government figures. Mathale’s definitive denial appeared to contradict previous, less formal suggestions emanating from certain quarters of the executive branch, which had implied that such a coordinating committee might have been quietly assembled to streamline and expedite specific government priorities in the post-election landscape.
The Deputy Minister was unequivocal in his assertion that, to the best of his professional knowledge, the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues its functions exclusively through its established, traditional governance and accountability structures. This strictly vertical accountability runs directly to the Ministry of Police, maintaining lateral coordination with adjacent departments, particularly the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, only when the operational mandate legally requires it. The implication of his testimony is that if a high-level, cross-departmental IMC were genuinely operational, the Deputy Minister responsible for the police portfolio—a key component of national security—should logically be aware of its existence, or at least its mandate.
WATCH | Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale says he is not aware of the existence of an interministerial committee (IMC) in the seventh administration. pic.twitter.com/7JS1gd8zlJ
— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 28, 2025
Mathale’s unexpected public statement has, consequently, raised a series of sharp questions regarding the internal communication efficacy and the degree of alignment among senior officials on critical governance mechanisms. The specific ambiguity surrounding the IMC is particularly concerning given the structure’s historical use in coordinating urgent national security, infrastructure, or economic matters that transcend the jurisdiction of a single ministry. The existence, or lack thereof, of such a committee touches directly on the efficiency and transparency of high-level government operations. An IMC, by its nature, represents a significant modification to the typical bureaucratic flow, indicating a deliberate, accelerated approach to complex problems.
As of this parliamentary engagement, the administration has yet to issue a formal, clear public clarificationregarding whether an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been officially constituted and authorized as a component of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s newly configured seventh administration framework. This ongoing silence allows the initial contradiction to persist, nurturing a climate of uncertainty regarding the actual organizational structure of the executive’s policy-making and oversight functions. The episode serves as a clear illustration of the enduring challenges associated with achieving full transparency and synchronized communication within a vast, multi-party governmental executive, especially in sensitive areas like law enforcement and security oversight.