Cyril Acts Against Mchunu

ADDRESS: President Suspends Police Minister, Appoints Commission of Inquiry

- Brendan Seery

In one of his shortest and most decisive addresses to the nation from the Union Buildings last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa put police minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave and appointed a commission of inquiry to probe allegations against him.

Mchunu has "undertaken to give his full cooperation to the commission to enable it to do its work," Ramaphosa said, before announcing that Mchunu's replacement will be ANC stalwart Prof Firoz Cachalia as acting minister.

Cachalia is currently a professor of law at the University of the Witwatersrand and is the chair of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. He previously served as an MEC of community safety in Gauteng.

He will take over as minister at the beginning of August, after retiring from his post at Wits and an acting minister will be appointed from within government.

The judicial commission of inquiry will be chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. He will be assisted by advocate Sesi Baloyi and advocate Sandile Khumalo.

Madlanga is retiring from the Constitutional Court at the end of July and "will therefore be able to give his full time and attention to the work of this commission."