Key testimonies in parliamentary inquiry: Cedrick Nkabinde and Advocate Shamila Batohi

Cedrick Nkabinde, the chief of staff to suspended Minister Senzo Mchunu, is set to be one of two key witnesses at the parliamentary inquiry next week.

This inquiry is investigating serious allegations raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson Soviet Lekganyane announced that the committee will convene on Monday to finalise its agenda for the upcoming weeks.

Lekganyane also said the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Shamila Batohi, will give her testimony on Tuesday.

There will be no public hearing on Wednesday as the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement speech.

“We have Mr Cedrick Nkabinde on Thursday and Friday next week,” Lekganyane said.

Nkabinde will give evidence on how he got to know Mchunu and will also be questioned about the email he sent to the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) requesting an investigation in connection with Crime Intelligence Division.

His name featured in testimonies given at the inquiry sparked by Mkhwanazi's media briefing on July 6, where he accused Mchunu of political interference and disbanding the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) to protect criminal syndicates.

Mkhwanazi gave evidence about Nkabinde's appointment before he was appointed as political head of the Ministry while he was minister of Water and Sanitation.

He also revealed that Nkabinde told him that he and former IPID head Robert McBride had met Mchunu at his residence to tell him about a criminal investigation they were busy with at IPID.

Former minister Bheki Cele asked the inquiry to look into the letter Nkabinde wrote to the IDAC, asking for an investigation into complaints by National Coloured Congress leader and MP Fadiel Adams against Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo.

“If it could be established, I think it's a matter that would have to be corrected and very serious corrective measures taken on it (because) that the Office of the Minister cannot write to the law enforcement agency to say to it (investigate). It can't be,” Cele had said.

Testifying before the inquiry on Thursday, IDAC head, Advocate Andrea Johnson, said Adams lodged his referral in November and it was brought to her to authorise an investigation in December.

Johnson confirmed that IDAC received an email from Nkabinde requesting an investigation into Adams’ complaints.

“I did not act on the letter because there was not anything to act on,” she said, adding that the referral was not in an affidavit.

Johnson revealed Nkabinde had made an allegation against one of IDAC investigators and had refused to depose to an affidavit when asked to do so.

In her earlier testimony, Johnson told the inquiry that IDAC now has an inspectorate judge to play oversight and handle complaints against their investigators.

Cele had raised what he deemed as lack of oversight on the IDAC, an agency within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

During her testimony Johnson on Thursday refused to disclose the names of politicians implicated in the irregular awarding of the tender awarded by SAPS to attempted murder accused businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

She dismissed the allegation that IDAC actively engaged in a coordinated action against Mkhwanazi, National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, and Khumalo.

She also disputed claims by Mkhwanazi that one of her investigators was not qualified for the job and that there were rogue elements within IDAC.

Johnson’s testimony came after Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and Deputy Minister Polly Boshielo gave evidence on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Boshielo confirmed that she did not receive any delegated powers in writing from Mchunu.

“Although the minister did not delegate to us functions in writing, but from time to time we would assist him to do the work. Although the minister did not pen down the delegations, there had been functions we were able to do arising from responsibilities of accounting to Parliament,” she said.

Boshielo also expressed her disappointment that Mchunu issued his letter of directives in December 2024 without consulting them as deputy ministers.

“I became aware of the directive while it was circulating on social media, and I assumed it was fake until the minister called me in early January to inform me that the letter that was circulating was not fake and he wrote it himself,” she said.

In his testimony, Cachalia refused to apologise for making remarks about Mkhwanazi appearing in military gear when he made serious allegations on July 6.

“There is no need for me to apologise about something that was not intended badly. There was no insult and so I don’t apologise,” he said.

Cachalia threw his weight behind the PKTT, saying there was a need for a strategy to fight organised crime utilising prosecution-led investigations.

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