The Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate allegations made by the South African Police Service (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, resumed its work last week with a planning meeting. This was the committee’s first meeting of 2026.
During the meeting, the committee resolved to proceed with the second phase of oral hearings, which are scheduled to resume on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
The evidence leader, Advocate Norman Arendse SC, reported that consultations with six identified witnesses were at an advanced stage, with five of the six consultations already concluded. The witnesses scheduled to provide oral evidence during this phase are Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Mr Julius Mkhwanazi, Mr Robert McBride, Mr Brown Mogotsi, and Mr Paul O’Sullivan.
Adv Arendse further informed the committee that Mr Mogotsi and Mr O’Sullivan had raised security concerns. Mr O’Sullivan also requested to testify virtually, as he is currently outside the country. The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Molapi Soviet Lekganyane, said that members were unanimous in their view that all witnesses should appear in person and that all available parliamentary mechanisms should be explored to ensure their physical attendance. Members further indicated that Mr O’Sullivan had sufficient opportunity to make himself available to the committee.
Mr Lekganyane acknowledged the challenges faced by the committee since its inception but commended members for their commitment and resilience. “It has not been very easy since we started, but through our collective effort, we were able to find each other and form a formidable team capable of executing the task before us,” he said.
The committee, operating under its second and final extension, which expires on 20 February 2026, met to finalise arrangements for the upcoming hearings and to consider matters arising from public submissions. With regard to public participation, the committee agreed with the recommendation of its technical team that the 15 substantive public submissions received, as well as a submission received from civil society, should be accommodated through oral presentations. The Chairperson noted that, following a presentation by the technical team, it was clear that certain issues arising from the public submissions would need to be heard. “This may require amendments to the current timetable of witness appearances,” he said.
The committee is working within a tight timeframe between 14 January and 6 February, with hearings expected to conclude by 6 February to allow sufficient time for drafting the final report.
A robust exchange took place during the meeting after committee member Mr Julius Malema cautioned against making generalised attacks on the judiciary without substantive evidence. This followed comments by another member, Mr David Skosana, who suggested that some judges should be called before the committee to testify, citing long-standing allegations against certain members of the judiciary.
Mr Malema stressed the importance of safeguarding the integrity of the judiciary. “We must jealously guard the image and authority of the judiciary. The moment you erode its credibility through sweeping statements, you undermine our democracy,” he said. While acknowledging that he does not always agree with court judgments, Mr Malema emphasised that it is unfair to portray all judges as incompetent. “If there is a specific judge who has acted improperly, name them, and we will deal with that,” he said.
The committee resolved that Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane will be the first witness to appear when oral hearings resume next Wednesday.
The Ad Hoc Committee was established in terms of National Assembly Rule 253 to investigate allegations made by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi and has been granted an extension until 20 February 2026 to finalise its work.
Rajaa Azzakani
13 January 2026
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