Who is the incoming acting police minister?

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that Professor Firoz Cachalia will be the incoming acting Minister of Police.

At the beginning of August, Cachalia will replace Senzo Mchunu who has been placed on leave of absence following serious corruption allegations against him levelled by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

On Sunday, 13 July, Ramaphosa addressed the nation and revealed that he will set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations. He also said he is appointing Cachalia in terms of Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution, which empowers the President to select no more than two Ministers from outside the National Assembly.

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT FIROZ CACHALIA

The scholar was born in 1958 in Benoni, Gauteng, and was an anti-apartheid activist with strong ties to the African National Congress (ANC).

Professor Cachalia is a lawyer and currently a professor of law at the University of the Witwatersrand
He is the chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, a body tasked to advise the President on the effective implementation of the anti-corruption strategy by government and civil society, including the private sector.
He previously served as the MEC of Community Safety in Gauteng from 2004 to 2009
The 66-year-old also served as an MEC for Economic Development from 2009 to 2010
His cousin is the former Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Ghaleb Cachalia, who was fired for his pro-Palestine remarks.

EFF REJECTS APPOINTMENT

Meanwhile, the The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it was appalled by Ramaphosa’s decision to place Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” instead of removing him entirely from his position.

The party said this so-called “special leave” is a cowardly deflection, designed to shield a corrupt Minister whose involvement in organised crime has been laid bare by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Moreover, the party also said it rejects the legally and constitutionally baseless decision by the President to appoint Firoz Cachalia as an acting Minister of Police who is not a current member of the Cabinet.

“This is a direct violation of Section 98 of the Constitution. It is clear from this provision that only a sitting Minister may be assigned the functions of another. The Constitution makes no room for the appointment of an acting Minister from outside Cabinet,” the EFF said.