Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa’s move to put corruption-accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on “leave of absence” has drawn mixed reactions from organisations and political parties.
Mchunu has pledged to cooperate with the commission of inquiry established to look into allegations of wrongdoing levelled against him by the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi accused the police minister of corruption, interference in investigations, and links to organised crime.
Reacting to the action taken by President Ramaphosa, the South African Union Council of Independent Churches (SAUCIC) applauded the establishment of the judicial commission to probe allegations against the Police Minister Mchunu, senior police officials, the judiciary, and criminal syndicates.
SAUCIC stated that, “President Ramaphosa has demonstrated leadership by acting decisively and with conviction to protect the rule of law and good governance”.
“He has showed consideration to the fact that restoring the integrity of the South African Police Service (SAPS) cannot be compromised at the altar of political expediency nor precedence be set for anarchy to be entrenched as a character and or dominant feature of law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” said SAUCIC President Cardinal Archbishop Dr Modiri Patrick Shole.
Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen, who is also the Agriculture Minister in the Government of National Unity, said his party notes President Ramaphosa’s move, but warned that “commissions are only as good as their consequences”.
Steenhuisen said the allegations made by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi strike at the heart of South Africa’s criminal justice system, implicating senior law enforcement, prosecutorial, intelligence, and even executive officials in organised crime and systemic corruption.
“While we welcome the announcement of a leave of absence for the Minister of Police as a necessary step, it comes after relentless DA pressure and a national outcry,” said Steenhuisen.
“These allegations provided the President with an opportunity to show bold and firm leadership.
“Instead, he has once again outsourced executive responsibility to a commission, and South Africans have grown cynical of talk shops, task teams, and commissions which they see as buying time and avoiding accountability.”
Steenhuisen said the DA will not accept a years-long process that gathered damning evidence only to deliver zero accountability.
Commenting on the matter, Amnesty International South Africa’s Executive Director Shenilla Mohamed said: “We reiterate our call for these claims to be addressed with the severity and urgency required”.
Amnesty International added: “People in South Africa are tired of costly commissions that are long drawn out and lead to no accountability.
“The mere fact that another commission is being established is an indictment of our justice system and state institutions.
“We need to see concrete and enforceable action to fight crime and not more processes that delay justice.”
Amnesty International said President Ramaphosa has an opportunity, and the power, to tackle corruption within the state quickly and decisively.
“Failure to do so has a massive impact on the rights of the people who live in South Africa,” Mohamed said
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it is “appalled by the decision of President Cyril Ramaphosa to place Minister Senzo Mchunu on ‘special leave’ instead of removing him entirely from his position”.
The EFF added: “This so-called ‘special leave’ is a cowardly deflection, designed to shield a corrupt Minister whose involvement in organised crime has been laid bare by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi”
The EFF said it rejects the “legally and constitutionally baseless decision” by the President to appoint an acting Minister of Police who is not a current member of Cabinet.
“This is a direct violation of Section 98 of the Constitution, which states: ‘The President may assign to a Minister any power or function of another Minister who is absent or otherwise unable to fulfil the functions of office’.
“It is clear from this provision that only a sitting Minister may be assigned the functions of another.
“The Constitution makes no room for the appointment of an acting Minister from outside Cabinet.”
In appointing Professor Firoz Cachalia to act a Police Minister, President Ramaphosa relied on Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution to justify his election of an acting Minister, which states: “The President may select no more than two Ministers from outside the Assembly”.
However, the EFF argued that: “Evidently, this section does not speak at all to the appointment of an ‘acting’ Minister nor does it make provisions for the appointment of an ‘acting’ Minister outside of the National Assembly.
“The President’s decision is therefore not just unlawful, but a deliberate abuse of the supreme law of the land.
“This decision is not only illegal, it is also a flagrant abuse of state resources.
“It allows Senzo Mchunu to continue drawing a full ministerial salary under the guise of ‘special leave’ while the President unlawfully bloats the Cabinet by appointing someone not lawfully entitled to serve in that role.”
The EFF has threatened legal action if the appointment of Cachalia is not reversed.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) which said it “condemns and rejects Cyril Ramaphosa’s grossly unconstitutional, politically dodgy, financially expensive and cowardly announcement made last night”.
“It is for these reasons that the uMkhonto weSizwe Party calls on Ramaphosa to withdraw his announcement by no later than 10:00 on Wednesday 16 July 2025,” MKP said.
“Failing which, the matter will be pursued vigorously in the courts, in Parliament, and most importantly on the streets of South Africa.”
The African Transformation Movement (ATM)said it “stands resolutely against the protracted delays and an ineffective commission established to investigate serious allegations regarding our law enforcement agencies.
“We believe that such commissions, while necessary, have become a monument to inefficiency, squandering taxpayer money and delaying the resolution of critical issues that endanger in this case, the safety and security of our citizens.”
The ATM added: “While we acknowledge the decision to remove Minister Senzo Mchunu, we strongly reject his leave of absence.
“Instead, we call for his immediate dismissal for lying to Parliament and for inappropriately involving himself in the operational matters of the SAPS.
“Such actions are not only unbecoming of a Minister but also a breach of trust that warrants decisive action to protect the integrity of our law enforcement agencies.
“Furthermore, we call upon the National Police Commissioner, General Masemola, to exercise his authority and suspend General Sibiya.”
General Sibiya was accused of acting on Police Minister Mchunu’s directive to disband the unit that was probing murders linked to political activity.
“The power to appoint and remove deputy and provincial commissioners rests with the National Police Commissioner, and we demand that he utilize this authority to ensure that our police force is free from corruption and misconduct,” the ATM said.
Regarding the time frame of the judicial commission of inquiry, President Rampohsa said it will be required to provide interim reports within three months, and then again at the six-month mark.
The final report will be submitted to the President, Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of South Africa.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the National Assembly has also directed three portfolio committees of parliament to consider the allegations against Minister Mchunu.
