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Senzo Mchunu's chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde before the ad hoc committee on Tuesday.
- Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, is again testifying before the parliamentary ad hoc committee established to investigate allegations of corruption made by KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
- This was his second appearance before the committee after MPs sent him packing following inaccuracies in his previous testimony.
- Proceedings went more smoothly as Nkabinde responded to questions with more clarity and accuracy.
Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, met intelligence peddler Brown Mogotsi to facilitate meetings, but maintains they are not close associates.
Nkabinde was the middleman between Mchunu and Mogotsi, facilitating meetings between the two.
Mogotsi, a serial information peddler, is accused of trying to influence the decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
On Wednesday, Nkabinde was testifying before the parliamentary ad hoc committee established to investigate allegations of corruption made by KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Last week, Nkabinde was sent packing after several falsehoods and inaccuracies were highlighted in his testimony.
READ | ‘This is not a political performance’: EFF goes after Mchunu’s aide for false testimony
Nkabinde told MPs, then, that he “thumb-sucked” information contained in his affidavit – a comment that left MPs highly frustrated.
He blamed his inaccurate affidavit on not having access to his cellphone or laptop after they were confiscated in a raid last month, but his excuses fell on deaf ears.
On Wednesday, evidence leader Advocate Norman Arendse, SC, continued questioning Nkabinde about when he met Mogotsi and what Mogotsi’s relationship was with Mchunu.
He said Mogotsi and Mchunu’s meeting took place during the height of criminal activity at mines in Stilfontein.
Before the meeting, there was a staff meeting in Mchunu’s office to establish the best way forward in dealing with the illegal mining.
“I confirm that it was at this meeting, when the minister provided me with the contact details of Mr Brown Mogotsi from the North West province and instructed that I contact Mr Mogotsi and ask him to come with some local leaders to brief him on the situation before his visit. I was accordingly instructed to facilitate this engagement.
I contacted Mr Mogotsi on the same day, being 20 August 2025, and informed him that I would revert once a suitable date for the briefing had been identified.
“I followed the usual protocol that we follow with the staff to ascertain the minister’s earliest availability for the proposed meeting. I checked the minister’s availability with the personal assistant in order to facilitate the meeting with Mr Brown, as instructed,” he said.
READ | Mogotsi throws Mchunu a conspiracy theory lifeboat, but texts raise more questions
Nkabinde said Mogotsi was no friend of his.
“I never referred to Brown Mogotsi as ‘a close associate’ of the minister, as was described by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi during the meeting of 5 March 2025, which I deal with further below. I personally got to know Brown Mogotsi during my position as chief of staff. I facilitated several meetings between Minister Mchunu and Brown Mogotsi, together with other local leaders from the North West province, as stated and outlined hereinabove,” he said.
Insofar as Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala is concerned, Nkabinde placed on the record that he does not know Matlala.
Hearings continue.
