EFF leader Julius Malema slammed Cedric Nkabinde over discrepancies.
The testimony of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedric Nkabinde, was cut short on Thursday after MPs raised concerns about inconsistencies relating to North West businessman Oupa “Brown” Mogotsi.
Mogotsi is a central figure in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims of criminal infiltration within the police service, intelligence agencies, and judiciary.
He has been described as a “political fixer” who brokered contact between politicians and controversial figures, including Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Mkhwanazi alleged that Mogotsi had inside information on police operations, such as the “disbandment” of the political killings task team (PKTT), and referred to him as Mchunu’s “associate”.
The minister initially denied this but later conceded that Mogotsi was a “comrade“.
Nkabinde confirms arranging meeting with Brown Mogotsi
Appearing before parliament’s ad hoc committee inquiry at the Good Hope Chamber in Cape Town, Nkabinde – whose home was raided by law enforcement in early October – explained that his duties included managing Mchunu’s schedule and accompanying him to meetings.
He confirmed that he had arranged a meeting between Mchunu and Mogotsi.
“I also recall facilitating a second meeting with Brown Mogotsi, which could not materialise,” he told the committee on Thursday.
Nkabinde said he received Mogotsi’s contact details directly from Mchunu.
“I did not know Brown Mogotsi. It was like any other guest that the minister will want me to facilitate and give me details of that guest to make sure I create a slot for that meeting,” he explained.
He said he was not present in the boardroom during the meeting, which took place at Mchunu’s “private” residence between October and November 2024.
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Nkabinde said he could not confirm the exact date because his devices were confiscated during the raid.
He stated that the meeting was linked to a crisis in the North West, where illegal miners were trapped underground near Stilfontein.
According to him, Mchunu had asked him to contact “this comrade” to help arrange meetings with local leaders.
“Brown came with four or five other people, but I could not enter that boardroom. I was not part of that meeting, but I did know the basis of why I am facilitating such a meeting.”
He added that he chose not to enter because the individuals were “private people.”
“The minister would have called me in if he needed me.”
MPs question the purpose and location of the meeting
EFF MP Leigh-Ann Mathys challenged Nkabinde’s claim that the meeting was related to Stilfontein, but he insisted that was the purpose.
MK Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo said he was “getting confused” by the explanation, arguing that as chief of staff, Nkabinde should have been present at a work-related meeting.
Nkabinde responded that he was not required to attend every engagement.
“It’s not that I just come in any meeting uninvited,” he said.
He pointed out that even in sessions with National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, Mchunu sometimes asked him to excuse them.
READ MORE: ‘Mkhwanazi knows in his conscience’: Mchunu insists he’s not a criminal, says he knows Brown Mogotsi
ANC MP Xola Nqola then asked whether the meeting had taken place at Mchunu’s ministerial residence in Pretoria or Cape Town, while MK Party MP David Skosana accused Nkabinde of misleading the committee.
Skosana said he assumed Nkabinde meant Mchunu’s home in Empangeni, KZN.
Nkabinde corrected himself, saying the meeting occurred at the minister’s official Pretoria residence.
“It was an oversight to say private residence.”
Watch the ad hoc committee’s meeting below:
Patriotic Alliance MP Ashley Sauls questioned whether it was normal for staff to work from a “private official residence” rather than from the ministry’s offices.
Nkabinde clarified that within the ministry there were private staff who accompanied the minister and support staff who remained in the office.
He said, “because we must be with him”, his role required being wherever the minister was.
WhatsApp messages and alleged links to Cat Matlala
Evidence leader Norman Arendse questioned Nkabinde about WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between Mogotsi and Matlala that mentioned him.
Screenshots shown to the committee included messages from Mogotsi to someone saved as “Senzo Chief”.
In one, Mogotsi said “our guy needs your intervention” in reference to Matlala’s cancelled R360 million contract with the South African Police Service.
Nkabinde said he was seeing these texts for the first time.
“I don’t know who was he [Mogotsi] talking with here.”
Another message read: “hello chief of staff, got your number from Mr Brown requesting a meeting please.”
“I’m a bit confused,” Nkabinde said, asking for clarification on who the messages were between.
READ MORE: Police locate Oupa ‘Brown’ Mogotsi after alleged hit
Arendse explained they were conversations between Mogotsi and Matlala, copied to Nkabinde – a claim he rejected.
“There’s also WhatsApp [texts] directed to you directly from Mr Mogotsi. Do you at least accept you received WhatsApp [texts] from Mr Mogotsi.”
Nkabinde responded no.
He said that apart from arranging the meeting, his only other communication with Mogotsi involved minor, informal messages.
He described Mogotsi as “a person who likes to break news”.
“I cannot deny that there are some stupid messages he would send. I would not even respond to them.”
He clarified that any messages were sent after he had facilitated the meeting.
“There is no message of significance that needed my attention; hence I am trying to describe him as a person who sends news articles as if he is breaking the news.”
Nkabinde also denied having any friendship with Mogotsi.
MPs challenge contradictions
MK Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo highlighted inconsistencies in Nkabinde’s timeline, pointing out that in his written statement, he said Mkhwanazi had called him in September 2024 asking about Mogotsi.
Nomvalo questioned how Nkabinde could now claim he first learned of Mogotsi when arranging the October or November meeting.
“I think there is a lot of a contradiction that the witness is making.”
Nkabinde explained that the confusion was due to his loss of electronic devices.
“Remember when these things happened, you wouldn’t know there would be an ad hoc committee so you will only refer back to our gadgets and calendar.”
ALSO READ: Staged or not? Brown Mogotsi claims he is ‘living in fear’
However, Nqola said the confusion was deepening because Nkabinde’s statement claimed he got a call from Mkhwanazi asking him about Mogotsi during a 30 September visit to Lusikisiki – a date later found to be wrong – after a mass shooting in the area.
“It has nothing to do with gadgets; it’s paragraph 77 of the witness statement. It’s in the statement he deposed.”
Inkatha Freedom Party MP Albert Mncwango questioned the reliability of the affidavit itself.
Nkabinde confirmed that the meeting with Mogotsi occurred before the Eastern Cape visit.
“I was there with the minister,” he said, emphasising that Mogotsi did not accompany them to the province.
Mkhwanazi had previously testified that Mogotsi had called him claiming he was with Mchunu in Lusikisiki.
The KZN commissioner then phoned Nkabinde to confirm this.
Nkabinde accused of perjury
EFF leader Julius Malema criticised Nkabinde after he said he had “thumb sucked” the dates due to his lack of access to his devices.
“You are under oath. Some of these things are going to come across as being lies under oath because you didn’t have the equipment,” Malema said, also questioning the accuracy of the affidavit.
Nkabinde explained that he had told Arendse during consultations that he cannot provide the exact dates, but was advised to include “more or less” dates in his statement.
He maintained that the meeting between Mchunu and Mogotsi occurred before the Lusikisiki visit and that the call from Mkhwanazi came afterward.
Nkabinde insisted he got Mogotsi’s number from Mchunu and only confirmed it to Mkhwanazi later.
“General Mkhwanazi was asking ‘do you know a person called Mogotsi, he said he knows the minister’.
“Then I confirmed that we know that guy. [Mkhwanazi asked] ‘is this his number’ then I checked and I said yes it is his number.”
ALSO READ: Police raid business premises of Brown Mogotsi amid ongoing investigation
Malema accused Nkabinde of “misrepresenting the facts”.
“He is deliberating misleading us. It’s shifting goalposts.”
He demanded that Nkabinde submit a new sworn statement.
“This is a misrepresentation which we must not accept as a committee.”
Other MPs agreed, with ActionSA MP Dereleen James saying Nkabinde was wasting the committee’s time.
Mathys went further, accusing Nkabinde of perjury.
“It is intentional and it is perjury,” she said, adding that the EFF would open a case of perjury against him.
She added that Nkabinde should have indicated in his affidavit that he was uncertain about the dates.
Malema added: “He needs to be arrested for lying to parliament.”
Ad hoc committee proceedings halted
After consulting with his legal team, Nkabinde admitted that the date of the Lusikisiki visit in his statement was incorrect.
“So I think I should definitely do thorough homework,” he said. “It is becoming a mess.”
The committee eventually agreed to halt proceedings to allow Nkabinde to submit a new affidavit.
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