Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee to Hear Testimony from Bheki Cele in Corruption Inquiry

• The Parliament’s ad hoc committee stated that the former Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, will be added to the list to testify
• The committee will be investigating allegations of corruption made by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
• The committee moved to list Cele among the initial seven witnesses prepared for the hearings

Former Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, will be testifying at the parliament's ad hoc committee. The committee revealed on Friday, 5 September 2025, that Cele will be added to the list of seven witnesses.

Bheki Cele to testify at committee

The ad hoc committee’s chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, announced during a virtual meeting that the former minister of police will be added to the list of seven initial witnesses.

He listed the other witnesses as National Police Commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, and Deputy Police Ministers Cassel Mathale and Polly Boshielo.

Lekganyane said invitation letters were sent on August 30 to all seven witnesses to appear before the committee. He added that all confirmed their availability, except for Mkhwanazi and Mchunu.

Mkhwanazi announces availability

During a meeting on Friday, 5 September 2025, the ad hoc committee stated that it initially requested Mkhwanazi to testify on 30 August 2025. The committee also sent Mkhwanazi a request for consultations with the committee’s evidence leaders on 20 September 2025.

The committee’s chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, said that Mkhwanazi responded on 4 September, stating that he was not yet available. He explained that he remains committed to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry until 24 September 2025, which is probing allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption within the criminal justice system.

Allegations made by Mkhwanazi

Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu and Sibiya disbanded the KZN SAPS political killings task team after it raided Vusi 'Cat' Matlala’s home in December 2024 and began making progress in certain Gauteng cases.

Mkhwanazi further alleged that the decision was driven by the task team’s exposure of a criminal syndicate operating in Gauteng.

According to him, the syndicate includes senior politicians serving in parliament, law enforcement officers such as police and metro police, correctional services officials, prosecutors, as well as magistrates and judges in the province.

The commission of inquiry

The inquiry, the Madlanga Commission, was set to begin on September 1 at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.

The commission announced last week that the start date would be delayed, stating the Department of Justice’s failure to secure essential infrastructure.

Lekganyane confirmed that Advocate Norman Arendse SC, Advocate Maria Mokhaetsi, and Advocate Lerato Zikalala have been appointed as evidence leaders.

Bheki Cele defends himself for calling Cat Matlala

In a previous article, Briefly News reported that Former Police Minister Bheki Cele came under fire after it was revealed that he had contacted attempted murder accused Cat Matlala.

Matlala was also linked to a drug syndicate that allegedly infiltrated the South African criminal justice system.

Source: Briefly News