All eyes will be on KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, as he becomes the first witness to testify before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating his explosive allegations of political interference in the police service.
The hearings are taking place in Cape Town, beginning at 10:00 (SAST), and will be broadcast live on Parliament TV, the YouTube channel of Parliament South Africa, and various news outlets.
Mkhwanazi’s testimony follows weeks of anticipation after his statements earlier this year accusing senior officials — including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu — of disbanding the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team to protect influential figures allegedly linked to criminal syndicates.
According to Daily Maverick, the ad hoc committee was established to examine these claims and determine whether there was indeed political interference within law enforcement.
The committee is chaired by Soviet Lekganyane, a senior ANC MP and former Limpopo MEC. Lekganyane was elected to lead the hearings in August and has since faced criticism from opposition parties, who questioned whether an ANC member should preside over an inquiry involving another ANC official.
Lekganyane defended his position, saying the committee’s job was “to uncover the truth, not to protect any individual or party.”
The hearings will proceed with Mkhwanazi giving his testimony on Tuesday, followed by questioning from Members of Parliament on Wednesday. The committee has 30 days to complete its work, though with more than 30 witnesses expected, analysts have described the timeline as “ambitious.”
Key political figures expected to participate include Ian Cameron, chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police, who is known for his sharp focus on accountability within law enforcement.
Cameron is expected to lead rigorous questioning around how Crime Intelligence units were allegedly misused to suppress investigations.
Recently convicted EFF leader Julius Malema will also take part in the hearings. He has publicly criticised the committee for moving too slowly and warned that Parliament should not “play second fiddle” to the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating similar issues.
Malema has also called for Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie to testify about alleged connections between police officials and criminal networks.
Other influential MPs include Glynnis Breytenbach of the Democratic Alliance (DA), a former state prosecutor known for her uncompromising stance on justice, and Fadiel Adams from the National Coloured Congress (NCC), both of whom were previously mentioned by Mkhwanazi in connection with leaked police information — allegations they have denied.
The committee’s evidence leaders are Advocate Norman Arendse SC, a veteran constitutional lawyer and mediator, and Advocates Maria Mokhaoetsi and Lerato Zikalala, both with strong backgrounds in administrative and constitutional law. Their task is to guide witnesses through their statements and ensure the process adheres to parliamentary and legal procedures.
Mkhwanazi’s testimony is expected to set the tone for the hearings. He will likely be questioned about his claims that case files were removed from investigators, that high-level officers obstructed corruption probes, and that a powerful network — allegedly including businessman Brown Mogotsi — influenced police operations.
The inquiry has drawn national attention because it touches on broader issues of governance, accountability, and the independence of South Africa’s police services.
With Mkhwanazi taking the stand first, Tuesday’s session is expected to be tense, detailed, and possibly explosive — offering the first real test of how far Parliament is willing to go in investigating the country’s policing crisis.