MPs worried about neglect of police, justice committees amid inquiry probing police graft

Political parties in Parliament are concerned about the impact the ad hoc committee probing police corruption is having on the work of the justice and police committees.

Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip George Michalakis has informed Parliament’s presiding officers that the committees have not sat for months and are neglecting important oversight work.

Several of the members of Parliament (MPs), including both the committee chairpersons, sit on the ad hoc committee, which this week was granted a third extension to conclude its work.

Speaker Thoko Didiza said a way must be found to balance the responsibilities.

Since the ad hoc committee on police corruption began sitting last September, the police and justice committees have failed to hold regular meetings.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi echoed the concern of Michalakis in a programme committee meeting, particularly the impact it’s having on the police committee starting an inquiry into crime in Cape Town that the EFF initiated in 2025.

“It can’t be that because there’s an ad hoc committee taking place, that the work of the [police] committee has come to a standstill. The police committee is dealing with very important issues. There’s a lot of crime in the country.”

Didiza said house chairperson Cedric Frolick will meet with the chairpersons of the affected committees to discuss the issue.

“We have noted the uneven performance, some of them which may relate to members serving on other structures, but that should not impact negatively on the work of committees.”

The ad hoc committee is not due to conclude its work until the end of March, meaning the justice and police committees would not have sat for six months to deal with their oversight responsibilities.

Meanwhile, the police committee is due to conclude its inquiry into Western Cape crime by the end of June.