Two of the ANC's biggest opponents in parliament have laid a criminal complaint of fraud against police minister Senzo Mchunu.
The ANC's biggest GNU partner, the DA, was at the Cape Town central police station on Thursday accusing Mchunu of lying to parliament about his ties to businessman Brown Mogotsi, while the MK Party announced it had added charges against deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya for alleged obstruction of justice.
DA deputy chief whip Baxolile Nodada said the party would also submit a formal complaint to parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests.
Listen to the DA's charges here:
During a parliamentary police portfolio committee meeting in March, Mchunu — under oath — brushed off KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's claims about Mogotsi's alleged closeness to him, referring to him as “some fellow”. However, on Wednesday his office said the minister has met Mogotsi, albeit describing him as “a comrade, not an associate”.
Nodada said: “This reversal directly contradicts his earlier denial and raises grave concerns about whether he deliberately misled parliament — a criminal act in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act.”
The controversy stems from Mkhwanazi's weekend press conference at which he said senior law enforcement officials were interfering in cases police were investigating. He also alleged Mogotsi was involved in communications with Mchunu about disbanding the political killings task team.
The DA contends that Mchunu needs to be investigated for allegedly:
- committing fraud by knowingly making a false statement with the intent to mislead parliament;
- violating the Powers and Privileges Act, which criminalises any attempt to mislead or obstruct parliament or its committees;
- breaching the parliamentary code of conduct, which demands honesty, integrity and transparency from all MPs.
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party wouldn't “stand idle in the face of injustice”.
“These charges point to a deliberate and co-ordinated attempt to obstruct justice and undermine accountability within the structures of law enforcement. As public representatives, the MK Party has the responsibility to ensure that those who act in contempt of the law are held to account.”
ActionSA has vowed to explore legal action against Mchunu. The party led a protest outside the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police headquarters on Thursday to demand action.
“ActionSA will continue to support all legitimate and lawful efforts to root out corruption and tackle South Africa’s rampant crime. This must begin with confronting those in law enforcement who actively undermine these efforts from within.”
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