By Simon Nare
EFF leader Julius Malema has called for the extension of KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s contract and that he should be given national responsibilities to effectively deal with rampant crime in the country.
Malema told reporters ahead of the party’s 12th anniversary celebrations in Cape Town, that Mkhwanazi was a hero for exposing the rot in the SA Police Service and the alleged political interference that led to the suspension of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Mchunu was suspended by President Cyril Ramaphosa following explosive revelations by Mkhwanazi that he had allegedly politically interfered in the dismantling of Political Killings Task Force.
Malema said Mkhwanazi had put his life on the line by going public and the country should rally behind him.
He added that what was happening within the SAPS was pure criminality and that there were factions who were fighting over the slush funds.
“The country must pay closer attention (to) that one, that Mkhwanazi doesn’t get victimised. Mkhwanazi’s contract is coming to an end in December. If anything, they must advertise that post now and then he must reapply and get reappointed again so that he can finish these thugs.
“Thugs, I don’t mean those criminals out there, I am talking about these we sit with here in Parliament. Our problems starts here. Mkhwanazi must arrest them. If we allow this thing to go and Mkhwanazi’s contract is finished, they are not going to appoint him,” said Malema.
Malema said parliamentarians were singing Mkhwanazi’s praises for doing a good job, but in the dark corners they were scared that he would arrest them for criminal activities.
He added that if they admired him as they publicly declared, then they must advertise the post and reappoint him.
“We are at a point where we can’t afford to lose Mkhwanazi. Somehow, he needs to be retained into the force and somehow, he needs to be elevated to a national responsibility because KwaZulu-Natal has become too small for him. Western Cape needs Mkhwanazi to come and deal with these crimes that are supported by the Democratic Alliance,” said Malema.
He said the party was happy that MPs had agreed that an Ad Hoc Committee be established to look into the allegations. They agreed that such a committee was task specific and time bound, contrary to the general oversight function of portfolio committees which, in contrast, was ongoing and often required juggling competing priorities.
He said the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which has also been set up to investigate the allegations, might take too long, and by the time it concluded its probe, people would have long forgotten the allegations and Mkhwanazi would be out of the picture.
Malema said Mchunu should have resigned and waited to clear his name in the inquiry.
On the party’s anniversary,Malema said the EFF was bringing its celebrations to the Western Cape for the first time since its formation 12 years ago.
He said that in the past the party had avoided the Western Cape partly due to poor weather conditions.
The Western Cape was one of the provinces where the party grew in the previous elections, and projections were pointing to further growth, Malema said.
“The chosen venue of Khayelitsha is significant. It is the second-largest township in South Africa, home to thousands of poor and working-class Africans who continue to live under the weight of spatial apartheid and deliberate underdevelopment.
“Khayelitsha remains physically and economically separated from the so-called “world class” parts of Cape Town. When the DA-led city speaks of a smart city, they are not referring to Khayelitsha,” he said.
The rally is on Saturday.
INSIDE POLITICS