Ashley Sauls Slams Ad Hoc Hearings, Claims ActionSA, MKP and General Mkhwanazi Undermined Committee

• Ashley Sauls slammed Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee over a letter produced by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
• The Patriotic Alliance (PA) Member of Parliament also took aim at the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and Action SA's Dereleen James
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on Sauls' unhappiness and his comments about PA leader, Gayton McKenzie

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE – Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, which is probing allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, may have wrapped up its hearings, but the drama hasn’t stopped.

The Committee, which is probing allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is scheduled to submit its final report to the National Assembly by 31 March 2026.

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While the Members of Parliament seek to work together to get the report out, there has been some division within the ranks following one of the latest submissions presented before the Committee. On its final day of hearings, on 18 March 2026, General Mkhwanazi presented a letter before Parliament, which was reportedly written by an inmate at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility.

The inmate, Jermaine Prim, wrote about his chats with Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala in prison, and included allegations about Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.

Patriotic Alliance unhappy with parties and General Mkhwanazi

On Sunday, 22 March 2026, the Patriotic Alliance’s (PA) Ashley Sauls was interviewed by SABC News, where he was asked about how the Committee would verify Prim’s letter.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the PA said that the bigger question was what his party would do now. Sauls indicated that the PA would take action against the Ad Hoc Committee for accepting an unverified letter submitted by General Mkhwanazi and for not upholding the integrity of such a body.

“The Chairperson allowed the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and General Mkhwanazi to bring unverified, untested information to the record,” he said.

He also voiced unhappiness that Dereleen James was allowed to put forth allegations on the day that the Committee was supposed to close.

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“It’s clear that this is the art of politics. The art of deception. From the likes of Mr Mashaba, the likes of MKP, the likes of General Mkhwanazi and the likes of Dereleen James. Working together to compromise the integrity of the Ad Hoc Committee,” Sauls claimed.

Sauls denies that McKenzie is a drug peddler

The PA member also vehemently stated that the party leader, McKenzie, was not a drug peddler. Prim’s letter claimed that he had a voice recording that linked McKenzie directly to drug dealers and drug money.

He also claimed that the minister orchestrated his move to the high-security C-Max prison because of the existence of the recording.

South Africans weighed in on Sauls’ comments

Social media users weighed in on Sauls’ unhappiness, sharing varying reactions to it.

@thabanisandile3 asked:

“Who takes Saul seriously? If you take Saul seriously, then you need to be examined. You might be in the same category as him.”

@ImFrankmiles noted:

“They accepted a statement from Matlala to Mchunu. Who verified that statement?

@ke_warra stated:

“These are the same people who are supposed to be ‘investigating’ allegations made by Mkhwanazi. They are already passing their own judgments on his testimony before the Ad Hoc committee concludes. These clowns are conflicted and have rendered that committee a useless waste of time.”

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@kbhebhe questioned:

“Why didn’t he mention that during the meeting?”

@GstarBabe added:

“This is why we don't take that committee seriously. Everyone is there for their own political agenda, and not that of the citizens of South Africa. It's sad watching this play out.”

@van_vuyo noted:

“In English, they say something about a can of worms. I think General Mkhwanazi opened a drum of worms.”

PA dismisses allegations against McKenzie

Briefly News reported that Patriotic Alliance responded to allegations that the party leader, McKenzie, had links to the drug trade.

The allegations surfaced after General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee with a letter from an inmate.

The PA's Deputy President, Kenny Kunene, dismissed the allegations and provided more details about the author of the letter.

Source: Briefly News