EFF accuses Cachalia of interference in KZN political killings probes

JOHANNESBURG - The EFF has accused Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia of political interference, claiming he is attempting to derail investigations into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.

The party’s criticism comes after Cachalia raised concerns about a recent decision to return 121 dockets - previously handled by Deputy Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya - back to the KZN Political Killings Task Team.

Cachalia warned that the move could potentially undermine the ongoing work of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into political interference in the criminal justice system.

Earlier this year, KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of directly interfering in the task team’s work, prompting the establishment of the judicial commission.

This week, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola announced that the 121 dockets would be returned to the original task team, a decision welcomed by the EFF.

The party said Masemola’s action was a necessary step to undo obstruction and allow stalled investigations to resume.

However, Acting Minister Cachalia criticised the move, arguing that changes to how the dockets are handled should not be made before the commission has completed its work.

The EFF responded that Cachalia’s stance reflects a flawed understanding of the role of commissions in a constitutional democracy, insisting that a judicial inquiry cannot and should not replace active police investigations.