The Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations made by South African Police Service’s (SAPS’s) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has been granted an extension until 28 November 2025 in order to complete its work.

The committee met on Wednesday night to receive legal opinion on the participation of certain members, the committee’s request to extend its lifespan and the identification of further witnesses, among other things.

The committee was informed that the Speaker has granted it an extension until 28 November 2025 to finalise its work. Members welcomed this extension, as it provides for additional time for the committee to execute its mandate. The committee was initially given until the end of October to finalise its work.

Committee chairperson Molapi Soviet Lekganyane made the request to National Assembly (NA) Speaker on behalf of the committee. The request was made after the committee encountered delays in starting with its public hearings.

The committee also received an update on the public participation process. The committee heard that so far 325 submissions have been received. The deadline for input from the public on Lt Gen Mkhwanazi’s allegations was 17 October.

Regarding the legal opinion on the participation of “conflicted” members, it reads: “… in the circumstances, we hasten to opine that the cases that were opened by the affected members before the initiation of the subject enquiry, do not exhibit bias or give rise to a reasonable apprehension thereof.” The opinion further reads that in the view of a reasonable observer, “if aware of these cases, would consider that they were registered before the commencement of the committee hearings. Such observer would also be aware of the fact that the cases were registered, not in the context of the enquiry, but in the context of apparent contradictory versions made by Mr Mchunu, MP, both in the public domain and before a committee of Parliament regarding his association with Mr Brown Mogotsi. Moreover, it is the National Prosecuting Authority that will determine whether there are any prospects of success in prosecuting the said cases.”

This legal opinion refers to committee member David Skosana and Ms Lisa-Mare Schickerling, who had laid criminal charges against Minister Senzo Mchunu and Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.

The committee was further informed about legal advice obtained by the Democratic Alliance (DA), which found there is no basis for committee member Dianne Kohler-Barnard to excuse herself or be removed from the parliamentary inquiry into allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system. The DA sought the legal opinion after Mkhwanazi accused Kohler-Barnard of disclosing classified intelligence information at the parliamentary inquiry and the Malanga Commission, an allegation she has denied.

Committee member Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach said the conclusion reached by the legal advice was that there was no factual basis to conclude that Kohler-Barnard was biased, conflicted and could not participate in the inquiry. She has been under pressure from several committee members to recuse herself from its proceedings.

Next week, committee members will be given an opportunity to pose questions to Mchunu. The committee is also expected to hear from former Police Minister Gen Bheki Cele. The committee also finalised a list of high-ranking SAPS officials that will be called to appear before it.