Suspended EMPD chief, commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi, insisted that he did not lie about his mother’s death.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela / IOL News
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has raised concerns over Julius Mkhwanazi’s postponement request after inconsistencies emerged regarding his claim that his mother had died.
Evidence leader, Advocate Mahlape Sello SC told the inquiry that Home Affairs records suggest the deceased may instead have been his stepmother, not his biological mother.
The discrepancy prompted questions about whether misleading information had been provided to secure a postponement.
Mkhwanazi denied any wrongdoing, insisting he did not lie and that the woman referred to was his mother in every practical and cultural sense.
“I did not lie… she is my mother, she raised me… she is the wife of my father.”
The buried individual is now believed to have been his step-mother ten years older than him.
The commission accepted his explanation, noting that he consistently maintained the deceased raised him and was the wife of his father.
Co-commissioner Advocate Sandile Khumalo supported this interpretation, saying cultural definitions of motherhood may extend beyond biological ties.
“In our culture… there is no such thing as step mother, those are English terms… In our culture, someone who raises us , they are our mother, full stop,” he said.
Commission chairperson, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, apologised for the surprise line of questioning and said key Home Affairs documents had only recently been received.
He instructed Mkhwanazi to submit all relevant documentation to clarify the matter as the inquiry continues.
The commission said it would not at this stage pursue any adverse finding against Mkhwanazi on the question of dishonesty effectively accepting his clarification pending further verification of records.
The commission stressed that the inquiry remains focused on establishing the facts around the identity of the deceased and the accuracy of documentation submitted to the commission.
The inquiry is underway.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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