Calls Grow for Cachalia to Explain Mkhwanazi’s Past Statements Under Oath

Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia is facing criticism over how he has handled statements made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Critics are demanding accountability and want President Cyril Ramaphosa to step in.

The criticism rests on the claim that Mkhwanazi has already made the relevant statements under oath before Parliament. Those making the claim question whether his testimony has been properly taken into account in later discussions about policing and alleged interference in law enforcement.

In a strongly worded message, one critic accused Cachalia of misleading the public. “Professor Firoz Cachalia needs to stop taking South Africans for a run,” the message said. The critic argued that Mkhwanazi had already dealt with the issues under oath in Parliament, and that any clash between his testimony and other accounts should be investigated. “Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has already made these statements under oath in Parliament,” the message went on. It also demanded legal consequences if anyone is shown to have lied under oath. “Or else, he must face perjury charges,” the critic said.

Perjury is a serious crime, and any accusation of it must be backed by evidence. Two people giving different accounts, or a statement that appears to contradict another, does not on its own prove that someone lied under oath. Investigators would have to show that the statement was knowingly false, that it mattered to the proceedings, and that it was made in a way that meets the legal requirements for the offence.

The critic also asked President Ramaphosa to look at a video linked to the dispute and to give both Mkhwanazi and Cachalia a chance to respond. “Ramaphosa must play this video to both Mkhwanazi and Cachalia,” the message said. The call puts new focus on the president’s role in making sure that claims involving senior police officials and political office-bearers are handled openly and lawfully.

Mkhwanazi has been in the national spotlight before. He has made allegations about criminal networks, police corruption and possible interference in law enforcement operations, and these have fuelled a wider public debate about accountability in the South African Police Service and the link between political leaders and the police. Cachalia, as acting police minister, now faces scrutiny over how government responds to concerns about policing, the integrity of the institution and claims of misconduct.

For any formal action to follow, the proper authorities would need to assess the statements and the video, and the people involved would have to be allowed to respond. The key question is whether the evidence supports the accusations, and whether any proven wrongdoing calls for legal action. The public has a fair interest in seeing officials held to account through a process that is open, fair and lawful.

https://x.com/Constitution_94/status/2115806602145964437

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