Political Parties Slam Cyril Ramaphosa for Commission of Inquiry and Senzo Mchunu’s Special Leave

• Political parties shared adverse reactions to the announcements President Cyril Ramaphosa made during the family meeting on 13 July 2025
• Ramaphosa said he placed Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu on special leave and established a Commission of Inquiry
• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said his appointment of an acting minister was illegal, and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party slammed the Commission of Inquiry
• Dr Tinyiku Ngoveni, the chairperson of the University of South Africa's School of Criminal Justice, spoke to Briefly News

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

JOHANNESBURG — The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, and the Democratic Alliance (DA) slammed the announcements President Cyril Ramaphosa made during the family meeting on 13 July 2025.

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DA reacts to the announcements

The DA, on its @Our_DA X account, said it welcomed the announcements Ramaphosa made. Ramaphosa said that Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Police, would be placed on special leave. He added that a Commission of Inquiry will be established to investigate the allegations that KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner General Nhlangla Mkhwanazi made against Mchunu.

The DA, which opened a case against Mchunu, said that while it welcomed the announcement of Mchunu's leave of absence, it slammed his choice of a replacement for Mchunu. Ramaphosa said that Professor Firoz Cachalia will replace Mchunu.

"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," the party said.

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View the X statement here:

EFF accuses Ramaphosa of illegal appointment

The EFF slammed Ramaphosa and said his appointment of a replacement minister is a violation of the Constitution. In a statement released on its @EFFSouthAfrica X account, the Red Berets said Ramaphosa violated Section 98 of the Constitution. The section states that the president may assign a minister the functions of another minister who is absent or otherwise unable to fulfil the functions of office.

"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 party stated.

Read the X statement here:

MK Party slams Commission of Inquiry

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The MK Party's spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, slammed Ramaphosa's decision to establish a Commission of Inquiry into Mkhwanazi's allegations. He said the speech was the most pathetic speech any president in democratic South Africa has delivered.

He said Ramaphosa had the opportunity to show South Africans his leadership skills. He questioned how many convictions different commissions of inquiry achieved. He said Ramaphosa uses commissions of inquiry as laundromats.

"This judiciary is very questionable," he said.

Ndhlela added that it was suspicious that Ramaphosa would appoint the same judiciary that Mkhwanazi implicated in a nationwide drug syndicate.

What you need to know about the Commission of Inquiry

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the establishment of a judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of infiltration by a criminal syndicate within South Africa's law enforcement, intelligence, and criminal justice institutions.

Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga will lead the inquiry. Its mandate includes probing the involvement of current and former senior officials who may have enabled or ignored criminal activity, failed to act on credible intelligence, or personally benefited from syndicate operations.

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The commission will also assess the effectiveness of existing oversight mechanisms and whether current laws, policies, and institutional structures are sufficient to prevent such infiltration. It will deliver findings and recommend criminal prosecutions, disciplinary action, and reforms to strengthen institutional integrity.

Briefly News speaks to expert

Speaking to Briefly News, Dr Tinyiku Ngoveni, the chairperson of the University of South Africa's School of Criminal Justice, commented on the conditions of the country's law enforcement

"Taking into consideration the number of heinous crimes that even include the killing of politicians within the province and the country at large, the status of our law enforcement is in public bad taste. It is the duty of the police collectively to stand up, position themselves to rebuild their credibility, and this must be done by also energizing the country's national intelligence," he said.

Senzo Mchunu faces Public Protector probe

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Public Protector launched a formal investigation into the allegations Mkhwanzi made against Mchunu. This was after the African Transformation Movement (ATM) called for a probe into Mchunu's conduct.

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The Public Protector is also investigating his alleged role in disbanding the KZN Political Killings Task Team. The Public Protector is also investigating a R360-million contract awarded to attempted murder suspect Vuzimusi "Cat" Matlala.

Source: Briefly News