Parliament advised against duplicating work of inquiry into SAPS graft claims
Parliament’s legal advisors told a joint meeting of the Police and Justice Portfolio committees that Members of Parliament (MPs) have the power to get to the bottom of the allegations of police corruption without establishing a full-blown parliamentary inquiry.
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Katlego Jiyane/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - Parliament has been advised against duplicating the work of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Parliament’s legal advisors told a joint meeting of the Police and Justice Portfolio committees that Members of Parliament (MPs) have the power to get to the bottom of the allegations of police corruption without establishing a full-blown Parliamentary inquiry, which would be similar to the judicial commission headed by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
The committees received the legal opinion on Wednesday on how to process the allegations of police corruption and political interference raised by Mkhwanazi and report back to the National Assembly with recommendations.
Parliamentary legal advisor Andile Tetyana presented the legal opinion to the two committees that have been tasked by the speaker to decide on the modalities that will pave the way for Parliament to effectively exercise oversight over the police.
He also presented options, including a full-blown inquiry or an ad-hoc committee that will have a specific task and the power to summon those implicated.
But he warned against a full inquiry that could duplicate the work of the judicial commission set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“But, chairperson, of course, there are disadvantages to that. We wouldn’t want to duplicate the work which another commission is already doing.”
ActionSA MP Athol Trollip agreed on the possible duplication.
“But I do want to say that in the speaker’s original recommendation about how this matter should be dealt with, she said we should avoid duplication. I would venture that there is already duplication with the joint standing committee on intelligence dealing with this separately.”
Members of most parties agreed that the committees should choose the option of an ad-hoc committee that must also exercise oversight over the judicial commission established by President Ramaphosa.