Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has been adjourned until further notice after MPs rejected Mkhwanazi’s supplementary statement, demanding an original statement be presented before parliament.
Mkhwanazi was set to make his first appearance before the committee on Tuesday after allegations he made at a media briefing on July 6.
He made his first appearance at the Madlanga commission of inquiry in September, where he testified.
Before Mkhwanazi could take the oath at the committee, EFF leader Julius Malema raised concern about the lack of an original statement from Mkhwanazi.
“I don’t understand on what basis you want Mkhwanazi to take the oath because we have no statement before us from Mkhwanazi; we have a supplementary statement. Supplementing what?” Malema said.
He demanded Mkhwanazi first submit an original statement to parliament and, if necessary, a supplementary statement can be submitted afterwards. He reiterated that the committee has consistently requested to be treated independently and not as another leg of the Madlanga commission.
“The statement we have is the one he submitted to the commission. We have told the legal team we are not a junior committee of the commission. There is no statement from Mkhwanazi before us; there’s a statement from Mkhwanazi to the commission. Therefore, in the absence of his statement to the ad hoc committee of parliament, on what basis do you want him to take the oath?
“Mkhwanazi is not properly before us. The legal team has failed us because, in the deliberation, we made it clear and repeatedly said we cannot use the statement of the commission. We are not a junior of the commission.”
Other MPs raised the same concern and suggested the committee be adjourned to allow this to be fixed.
MK Party MP David Skosana described the incident as “embarrassing”.
“It’s embarrassing that after we agreed we are not a subcommittee of the Madlanga committee,” Skosana said. “Whatever happened at the Madlanga [commission] happened there. We were told there was consultation with Mkhwanazi. It would be proper that Mkhwanazi be excused.”
Evidence leader advocate Norman Arendse said a supplementary statement was submitted because the background was covered extensively by the Madlanga commission.
“Mkhwanazi gave his statement under oath and gave his evidence under oath,” Arendse said. “It would be surprising that his evidence from today would differ materially from the evidence given in the Madlanga commission.”
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