The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday it will push for Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to produce a full and transparent report of claims made, while ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) expressed disappointment with the appointment of Molapi Lekganyane as the committee chairperson.

Parliament established the committee following Mkhwanazi’s allegations of corruption, political interference, and malfeasance within the South African Police Service (Saps).

DA spokesperson on Police and Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron said the DA wanted the committee to name implicated individuals and provide timelines and evidence relating to Mkhwanzi's claims of case docket removals, the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team, and interference in Crime Intelligence.

Last month, Mkhwanazi accused Police Minister Senzo 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.

The DA wants the committee to publicly identify implicated Saps leadership, make recommendations for disciplinary action, or removal, and immediately refer all criminal findings to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and other relevant bodies.

The committee, which held its first sitting on Tuesday and elected its chairperson, has until October 31 to table its findings.

The DA also wants lifestyle audits, security vetting, and deadline-driven compliance for all senior Saps management, as well as a moratorium on cadre deployment and political appointments in Saps, with future appointments rather based on merit, experience, and integrity.

He noted that the committee must obtain a deadline-driven action plan from the Civilian Secretariat to oversee implementation of recommendations, with quarterly progress reports to Parliament.

The DA also wants the committee to establish a temporary, independent oversight team to drive systemic Saps reforms beyond the committee’s term.

“This committee is not just another parliamentary formality. It is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to confront and clean out the rot at the top of Saps. This ad hoc committee carries a massive responsibility to prove that Parliament’s oversight powers are real and enforceable,” Cameron said.

CHAIRPERSONSHIP

Meanwhile, ActionSA disagreed with the appointment of Lekganyane as committee chair, arguing that he was a member of the African National Congress (ANC), the party that Mchunu, who was implicated in the serious allegations that fall within the committee’s scope of work, belonged to.

ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James pointed out that a sitting Cabinet member is implicated in links to criminal syndicates.

“It stands to reason that this committee should not be chaired by any Member of Parliament from a party whose members are directly implicated in the allegations under investigation, especially given the very nature of how partisan politics operates. Doing so would erode public confidence and compromise the process from the outset,” she highlighted.

ActionSA pointed out that it would use its representation on the committee to ensure its work was conducted “independently” and “transparently”.

In its statement, meanwhile, the EFF also called on political parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU) to abstain from nominating one of their own members as Chairperson.

The EFF and ActionSA are not part of the GNU.

EFF deputy secretary-general and Member of the ad hoc committee Leigh-Ann Mathys said Lekganyane’s appointment was a missed opportunity by the GNU partners to build confidence in the country, specifically on the persistent issue of crime.

EFF president Julius Malema said his party was opposing the ANC holding the chairperson position.

The EFF reaffirmed that the committee must act independently of the commission of inquiry and called for terms of reference that allowed engagement with key witnesses, including those already incarcerated.