By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to the questions submitted to him by Parliament’s Ad Hoc committee investigating the corruption and malfeasance in criminal justice system.
Ramaphosa missed the deadline to submit the answers on Monday, 16 March 2026, and requested to be given until the end of business Tuesday.
MPs in the committee, which was set up after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive allegations of political motives in the disbandment, had sent Ramaphosa questions about his role in the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKKT).
These included four queries from legal counsel, 102 from the Economic Freedom Fighters, nine from the uMkhonto weSizwe party, 14 from the ANC and seven from the Democratic Alliance. The committee seeks to find out whether Ramaphosa gave instructions to disband the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) which oversaw the PKTT.
Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu has previously told the ad hoc committee that he did not consult Ramaphosa when issuing the disbandment letter. He defended his instruction, saying he was implementing a police research study which recommended the disbandment and consolidation of violent crime investigations into the murder and robbery unit.
“If the IMC was disbanded, on what date was this done and on whose authority? Did the IMC continue into the 7th administration or did it lapse at the end of the 6th administration?” reads one of the questions.
“If continued, why were no new appointment letters issued to ministers in the 7th administration as the minister of police, Senzo Mchunu claimed he never received any letter?”
Mchunu has said that the Inter-ministerial committee was not established during the 7th administration which came into being after the May 2024 general elections.
In his testimony at the ad hoc committee Mkhwanazi said Ramaphosa established the inter-ministerial committee in 2018, comprising the ministers of police, state security agency, defence, as well as justice and correctional service.
He accused Mchunu of making a unilateral decision to disband the task team without consultation and approval from the inter-ministerial committee. Members of parliament have asked Ramaphosa whether the absence of the committee relegated authority over the task team to Mchunu.
“Does the President accept that the absence of appointment letters may have caused confusion?” another question reads.
“What authority, if any, did individual IMC members have over the operational existence or consultation of the PKTT?”
MPs also wanted to know whether Ramaphosa approved the continued existence of the task team.
His office says the submission of these answers shows the President’s support for this process. Adding that this is also to ensure that the committee receives all necessary information to carry out its mandate effectively.
Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya elaborates, “President is committed to transparency and welcomes Parliamentary oversight over the executive arm of the state as part of the democratic process that governs the country.”
The committee continues to grill witnesses in a bid to establish the extent of the rot within the criminal justice system in the country and it is expected to conclude its proceedings on the 31st of March 2026.