Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu denies allegations contained in Jermaine Prim's letter.
Image: Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has again challenged KwaZulu-Natal provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to substantiate the allegations linking him to a meeting with former National Prosecution Director Advocate Shamila Batohi and Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala’s legal team.
Speaking on the sidelines of a funeral in Richards Bay on Sunday, Mchunu reiterated his calls to Mkhwanazi to provide evidence to back his claim that he and Batohi, together with Matlala’s lawyers, went to Kgosi Mampuru prison to meet with Matlala.
Matlala is a South African tender tycoon and criminal suspect known for his involvement in large state contracts and related controversies.
During a recent appearance in the Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, Mkhwanazi presented a handwritten letter which he claimed he obtained from fraud accused awaiting trial prisoner, Jermaine Prim. In the letter, Prim claimed that Mchunu, Batohi and Matlala’s lawyer visited Matlala to sign an affidavit that stating Matlala did not know Mchunu.
However, Mchunu dismissed the claim as lies, challenging Mkhwanazi to provide proof.
“I never met Batohi. I never met her with these people as claimed by Mkhwanazi. This is a problem when people would go around making allegations against other people without providing evidence. If you make allegations against other people without evidence, they can also make allegations against you without providing proof,” said Mchunu.
He also announced his readiness to return to both the Madlanga Commission and Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee if necessary.
Mkhwanazi’s allegations emanate from his media briefing last year, where he claimed that Mchunu disbanded the Political Killings Task Team in order to protect a Gauteng drug cartel. This led to Mchunu's suspension as Police Minister and he subsequently stepped aside from his political work as a National Executive Committee member of the ANC.
Last week, he wrote to the ANC asking to resume his duties as an NEC member. On whether the ANC approved the resumption of his political work, Mchunu said his letter to the party was merely to inform it about his return to active politics.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za