Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said on Thursday that KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi needs to be retained when his contract ends.

Mkhwanazi is scheduled to leave office in December.

“We are at a point where we cannot afford to lose Mkhwanazi. Somehow, he needs to be retained into the force and somehow, he needs to be elevated to a national responsibility. KwaZulu-Natal has become too small for him. Western Cape needs Mkhwanazi to come and deal with these crimes that are supported by DA [Democratic Alliance], funded DA, by money of drugs and gangsterism,” he stated.

Mkhwanazi has made headlines following his allegations of corruption, political interference, and malfeasance, specifically accusing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of unilaterally disbanding the Political Killings Task Team and redirecting 121 active investigation dockets to the office of National Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, where they have allegedly been neutralised.

Both Mchunu and Sibiya have since been placed on leave of absence by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

An inquiry has been established to investigate the allegations.

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has also assigned the portfolio committees on Police, Justice and Constitutional Development; and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to urgently consider the explosive allegations made by Mkhwanazi.

On Tuesday, a joint meeting between the Portfolio Committee on Police and the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development recommended that the National Assembly establish an Ad Hoc Committee to consider Mkhwanazi’s allegations.

Speaking during a media briefing, Malema said Mkhwanazi’s revelations should have shown the Government of National Unity (GNU) that cutting funding to law enforcement capacity was disastrous.

“It is for this reason that the EFF proposed the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations made by General Mkhwanazi and we welcome that this progressive step has been adopted by the National Assembly,” Malema said.

When asked whether the 90-day period for the committee to complete its work was viable, Malema said it was not enough.

“…and when it becomes practically impossible, we will have to go and ask for an extension in the [National] Assembly, we have done that before. But let’s get the work started, that is what is important and not complaining about whether the time is short. Once the amount of work is presented before us, we will then work on that. It is going to be a full-time job . . . and the parties that are sending people there, for a change, we must be prepared to work even on weekends. We have an emergency to deal with, we cannot prolong this issue of police anymore, we want it resolved, and it must be resolved now," he said.

Malema said he hoped to be elected chairperson of the ad hoc committee so that he would be able to “sort out this issue”.

He described Mkwanazi as a hero, who went outside of established protocols to make his revelations.

“Whether you agree with him or not, it does not matter, but he played a very important role in exposing the rot, and it is our turn now, as a country, and not as politicians, to deal with this matter,” Malema stated.

He urged South Africans to pay close attention to Mkwanazi so that he was not victimised.

Malema also said Mkwanazi should reapply for his apposition once his contract was up to keep the matter alive.

“We plead and we are making a call that Mkwanazi must be retained in the force, and we fully support him. Where a criminal shoots at a police officer, the police must drop those criminals, must not play with them. This thing of Cachalia, he does not know what we are dealing with here on the ground,” Malema stated.

He claimed that the commissions of inquiry were used by politicians to delay matters that could immediately be resolved.

“They use commissions to make you forget what the real issue is. I mean if you are to remember the Zondo Commission, that was the most useless expensive Commission, because they were buying time. By the time the Zondo Commission ended you do not even remember how the Guptas even look like, they are gone,” he said.

Malema called for the firing of Mchunu, stating that police must be allowed to investigate and arrest any person involved in wrongdoing.