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Cape Town — South Africa’s Parliament is preparing to send written questions to President Cyril Ramaphosa amid ongoing controversy over allegations of political interference in the criminal justice system. The Ad Hoc Committee investigating testimony about the disbanded Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) agreed to commission its legal advisers to draft a set of questions for the President.
The decision follows a tense virtual meeting on Monday, during which committee members debated whether Mr Ramaphosa should be summoned to testify in person. Several witnesses during earlier hearings referenced the President in connection with decisions taken over the PKTT, which was established to investigate assassinations of political figures and community leaders in KwaZulu-Natal.
EFF leader Julius Malema, who sits on the committee, argued that Mr Ramaphosa should face the same scrutiny as any other witness. “Anything else that Madlanga was subjected to, the President can be subjected to,” Mr Malema said, emphasising that parliamentary processes, not party hierarchies, should determine proceedings.
Soviet Lekganyane, the committee chairperson, stressed that due process would guide the committee’s next steps. Members will have an opportunity to contribute to the list of written questions, and any further action — including whether the President might be asked to appear in person — will depend on the responses received.
The PKTT’s disbandment on 31 December 2024 has sparked deep controversy. Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu testified that he briefed President Ramaphosa on the decision and that the President agreed with it, a claim that has fuelled calls for further clarification. Other witnesses, including KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, suggested that Mr Ramaphosa may not have been fully informed before the task team was dissolved.
Other testimony has highlighted contradictions within the South African Police Service (SAPS) about whether the PKTT was formally disbanded at all, and concerns have been raised about delays in investigations into politically linked killings.
The committee’s work is part of a broader inquiry into allegations of corruption and political interference in law enforcement agencies. It has already questioned senior figures including Mr Mchunu and the head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Advocate Shamila Batohi, as part of a series of hearings that aim to restore public confidence in the justice system.
As the draft questions are finalised and sent to the Presidency, national attention will remain on how executive accountability and parliamentary oversight interact in one of South Africa’s most sensitive political investigations in recent years.
