By Johnathan Paoli
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has formally submitted a draft resolution to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, calling for the urgent establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the disbandment of the political killings task team.
In a letter signed by EFF national chairperson and Parliamentary chief whip, Nontando Nolutshungu, the party invokes Rule 119 of the Rules of the National Assembly to introduce a resolution titled: “Establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations Arising from the Disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team.”
“The approach currently taken by Parliament risks producing inconsistent processes, jurisdictional overlap and ultimately, weakened accountability. A unified, non-fragmented Ad Hoc Committee, supported by a House resolution, is the only credible mechanism that can respond to this national crisis,” writs Nolutshungu.
This follows explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi implicating senior government officials and members of the criminal justice system in organised crime and interference in ongoing investigations.
According to the EFF, Mkhwanazi’s public statement raises deeply troubling claims that go well beyond the remit of any single portfolio committee.
These include allegations that elements within the executive, law enforcement, judiciary, prosecutorial services, intelligence agencies and private business networks may be complicit in politically motivated violence and are obstructing investigations.
The draft resolution stresses the “cross-cutting and systemic nature” of the alleged interference, and warns that the current parliamentary response, assigning the matter to three separate committees (police, justice and correctional services, and intelligence) is “procedurally inadequate and substantively limited”.
The EFF argues that only an Ad Hoc Committee constituted under Rule 253, with a clearly defined mandate and adequate investigative powers, can properly interrogate the gravity of Mkhwanazi’s claims.
The resolution seeks to empower such a committee to summon witnesses, compel the submission of documents and ensure a transparent and comprehensive inquiry into the alleged interference and disbandment of the task team.
While the EFF has acknowledged the Speaker’s initial step to refer the allegations to three committees, it has called for the immediate convening of a Programming Committee meeting to schedule the draft resolution for debate and adoption by the House.
The party has also attached a full draft of the proposed motion and requested that it be placed on the National Assembly’s Order Paper in an upcoming sitting.
The political killings task team was established in response to the alarming rise in politically motivated assassinations, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
It had previously been credited with making progress in high-profile investigations. However, its disbandment has drawn criticism from civil society organisations, political parties, and now, internal security leadership.
Mkhwanazi’s bombshell statement alleged that several politically sensitive cases had been deliberately derailed due to high-level interference.
He also suggested that elements within the justice system were working in concert with criminal syndicates to frustrate investigations.
His remarks have since caused widespread public concern, raising urgent questions about the integrity of South Africa’s law enforcement and criminal justice institutions.
The EFF said this was not merely a political issue, but a national security emergency, and the future of the country’s democracy depended on its ability to protect institutions from criminal capture.
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