By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee concluded the public participation with the testimony of witnesses, Ms Pheladi Matjaola, Colonel Darius Ramolobe, Captain Edwin Malatjie and Captain Samuel Ramalepe.
Matjaola claimed to be the victim of a coordinated cybercrime operation.
She told MPs that she has previously written to Parliament on several occasions to report what she described as harassment by former Anglo American CEO Themba Mkhwanazi.
According to her testimony, she opened a criminal case against Mkhwanazi in 2021, after which police seized her electronic devices as part of their investigation.
“The police are still in hold of those gadgets,” Matjaola said.
She further alleged she has been under constant digital surveillance, claiming that her movements were tracked through Google and that her email job applications consistently failed to reach their recipients.
As a result, she has been unable to find employment since 2019.
Matjaola testified she turned to Parliament for assistance because there has been no progress in the three cyber bullying and harassment cases she opened.
The witness became emotional during her testimony as she spoke about the personal impact of the alleged surveillance.
Under questioning from MPs, it emerged that Matjaola had also implicated KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
She alleged that a media briefing hosted by Mkhwanazi on 6 July 2025 was a “defensive strategy” aimed at preventing the arrest of the former Anglo American CEO.
When Freedom Front Plus MP Wouter Wessels questioned the nature of the relationship between the two men, Matjaola admitted she had no knowledge of any actual connection between them.
The lack of structure in Matjaola’s presentation drew sharp criticism. MK Party MP David Skosana expressed his frustration saying, “This statement is all over the place. There are no page numbers; I am confused.”
The credibility of her testimony was further questioned when she claimed that a security company spotted outside her home, Blue Security, belonged to Mkhwanazi.
The Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee, Soviet Lekganyane, accused Matjaola of abusing the parliamentary inquiry.
“Your problem could have been stated in five minutes. What you did to us today is horribly wrong. You should have said I opened three cases with SAPS, and I am frustrated that my cases are not attended to the way I hoped, and I appeal to your leadership to help, “he said.
Lekganyane noted that Matjaola was mentioning everything when she was allowed to state her complaint and was not prepared to respond when asked questions.
“We understand the frustration you personally went through. We don’t undermine the statement you made, and suspicion of who may be behind this, but we want to plead with you, let’s give the police a chance to respond to the questions we will send to them about your matter.”
He added that they would take up her matter and get satisfactory explanations on how the criminal cases she opened have been handled.
Meanwhile the Committee has approached Parliament Speaker, demanding that MPs Dianne Kohler Barnard and Fadel Adams testify before it.