Firoz Cachalia expected to be sworn in as police minister at Union Buildings on Friday
Cachalia will be the first minister in this administration to be chosen from outside of Parliament.
Professor Firoz Cachalia has been appointed an incoming Acting Minister of Police. Photo: Facebook/South African Government
CAPE TOWN - New police minister, Firoz Cachalia, is expected to take his oath of office at the Union Buildings on Friday.
The Presidency confirmed the swearing-in ceremony shortly after the Constitutional Court on Thursday afternoon dismissed an application from the MK Party to challenge his appointment.
Cachalia will be the first minister in this administration to be chosen from outside of Parliament.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced almost two weeks ago that he was suspending Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and invoking his constitutional powers to make an outside appointment to act in the role, while a commission of inquiry probes corruption allegations within the police service.
While the MK Party argued before the Constitutional Court on Wednesday that making another ministerial appointment was irregular and a waste of taxpayers’ money, the court on Thursday ruled that it would have to restart the legal process in the high court.
The judgment paves the way for Cachalia, who on Thursday retired as an academic from Wits University, to officially become part of the executive on Friday.
Cachalia has previously served as a Gauteng MEC for community safety.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s retirement of Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga frees him up to probe the corruption and collusion allegations hanging over Mchunu while he’s on special leave, another decision the MK Party sought to challenge.
While Cachalia will sit in Ramaphosa’s Cabinet, he won’t be a member of Parliament.
Parliament on Thursday also announced the members who will form part of an ad hoc committee to similarly probe corruption allegations within the SAPS made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.