By Simon Nare
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula announced on Tuesday that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who has been placed on leave of absence by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has not yet appeared before the party’s Integrity Committee.
Speaking at a press conference at Luthuli House in Johannesburg, Mbalula clarified that Mchunu, facing serious allegations of corruption and disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team, has not been found guilty of any offense at this stage.
He said these allegations will be thoroughly examined by the commission.
Mbalula’s remarks follow media reports suggesting that Mchunu has already presented himself before the commission.
However, Mbalula said that Mchunu has yet to appear before the ANC’s Integrity Committee to present his side of the story.
Once he does, the committee will compile a report for the National Executive Committee (NEC), which will deliberate on the minister’s future.
“In this regard, we call on the public, commentators, and all political parties to exercise restraint and respect the constitutional process now underway. The Commission must be allowed to conduct its work thoroughly, independently, and without fear or favour,” said Mbalula.
“Commissions serve this very function. They provide an independent and credible basis for legal, disciplinary, and institutional action. Calls for immediate arrests or prosecutions without this process reflect a disregard for constitutionalism and due process, and would ironically mirror the very abuses of power we seek to correct.”
He said the ANC supports the appointment of the party’s veteran, Firoz Cachalia, as acting Police Minister, pending the outcome of the judicial commission’s investigation.
Mbalula praised Ramaphosa for his handling of the Mchunu matter, saying that even under intense political pressure, the president has remained committed to upholding constitutional principles.
“He has not resorted to populist shortcuts or destructive purges. Instead, he has chosen the harder but ultimately more sustainable path of rebuilding public institutions, brick by brick, law by law, reform by reform. His approach is not driven by the need for applause but by the imperative of transformation and accountability within the bounds of legality,” said Mbalula.
He added that the ANC remains steadfast in its defence of constitutional governance and reaffirmed its support for the commission of inquiry, the president’s leadership, and all lawful, transparent processes aimed at restoring the integrity of the state.
“In the end, the strength of our democracy will be judged not by the absence of crisis but by how we respond to it. In a society faced with criminality, a demand for instant justice is understandable but it must not come at the expense of legal credibility,” he said.
Mbalula said the Constitution demands that even the fight against corruption be conducted within the bounds of legality, transparency, and fairness.
He described the work of commissions of inquiry as a sign of a maturing democracy—one that values substance over spectacle, and long-term reform over short-term applause.
He added that Mchunu will remain a Member of Parliament (MP) and continue to fulfill all his responsibilities while the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigates allegations of political interference made against him by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
INSIDE POLITICS