Professor Firoz Cachalia was on Friday officially sworn in as Minister-Designate of Police, following his appointment earlier this month.

Cachalia replaces Senzo Mchunu, who was placed on an immediate leave of absence by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made allegations of corruption, political interference, and malfeasance, specifically accusing Mchunu of unilaterally disbanding the Political Killings Task Team and redirecting 121 active investigation dockets to the office of National Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, where they have allegedly been neutralised.

Opposition parties have been vocal about Cachalia’s acting appointment, arguing that there is no constitutional basis for appointing an acting Minister from outside Cabinet.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s court challenge of Cachalia’a appointment was dismissed by the Constitutional Court on Thursday.

Following his swearing-in, the GOOD Party has urged Cachalia to bring urgency, focus and fairness to the fight against crime, with tangible outcomes in precincts and policy-wise.

The party urged him to prioritise targeted, intelligence-led policing in known gang hotspots, and to support violence prevention strategies - community conflict mediation, school interventions, social work programmes - that have proven effective elsewhere.

GOOD secretary-general and Western Cape Parliament member Brett Herron said Cachalia must hold provinces and municipalities accountable for how they use their own policing resources and stop the “blame-shifting” that leaves residents unprotected.

Herron suggested that Cachalia focus on integrated safety planning that sees the South African Police Service (Saps), metro police and social development work together and not in silos.

“And above all, we call on him not to get lost in the politics of policing. South Africans don’t need another power struggle, they need safety, justice, and a government that works together to deliver both. Let this appointment be a turning point, not just in who leads the police, but in how we respond to the violence that has plagued our poorest communities for far too long,” Herron said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) expects Cachalia to implement comprehensive and independent audits of senior Saps leadership.

DA spokesperson on Police and Portfolio Committee on Police chair Ian Cameron said Cachalia had a “mammoth task” ahead of him.

“Trust in the police is at an all-time low, and Saps remains plagued by political interference, mismanagement, and systemic corruption. Saps detectives are overwhelmed, police stations are severely under-resourced, and key leadership positions are either vacant, suspended, or compromised,” he noted.

The DA wants Cachalia to roll out the Saps structure signed in May 2025 across all levels, with Cameron pointing out that the lack of structural implementation since 1995 had led to misaligned deployments and poor service delivery.

He said the acting Minister must update and review the Saps Act in full consultation with oversight bodies, unions, and civil society.

The party also expects Cachalia to end long, paid suspensions by finalising disciplinary cases and by bringing back dedicated internal disciplinary units to restore discipline, uphold professional standards, and address misconduct within the ranks.

Cameron said the acting Minister must reinforce merit-based appointments through independent oversight and professional criteria.

The African National Congress expressed its full confidence in Cachalia’s appointment, noting his experience and credibility.