CAPE TOWN - Shouting and screaming are not solutions to oversight, says KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Speaking at the final sitting of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee into the allegations he made, Mkhwanazi criticised parliamentary committees for being ineffective in carrying out their oversight duties.
He said weak oversight has allowed corruption and inefficiencies to persist across many government departments.
According to Mkhwanazi, since the dawn of democracy, Parliament has never initiated a fitness inquiry against a National Police Commissioner. Instead, vetting and disciplinary processes have been left solely to the President.
"Yet it is Parliament that conducts oversight, identifies wrongdoing, requests reports and presentations, and makes recommendations," he said.
Mkhwanazi described oversight as having become a "box-ticking exercise".
"There is total ignorance of what the law requires us to do," he added.
He also criticised some Parliamentarians for prioritising visibility over effectiveness.
"You do that and become famous for being a very active Parliamentarian, but the person you are active against remains in their position," he said.
Mkhwanazi extended his criticism to provincial executives, explaining that provincial police commissioners are appointed by the National Commissioner in consultation with provincial governments.
READ: 'I've done enough' -O'Sullivan storms out of Ad Hoc Committee
Oversight at that level lies with provincial Community Safety portfolio committees.
Where there is inaction, these committees should escalate matters to the provincial executive, who can then request a fitness inquiry from the National Commissioner.
At national level, the President appoints the National Commissioner, who is accountable to Parliament.
If Parliament deems the commissioner unfit, it should formally request that the President establish a fitness inquiry.
READ: O'Sullivan walks out of Parliament, EFF calls for arrest
Mkhwanazi said no such calls have been made against any National Commissioner or Director-General to date, highlighting what he sees as a failure by lawmakers to fully understand their oversight responsibilities.
"You are just calling people to shout at them, and then they leave," says Mkhwanazi.
"You do that and become famous, but the institution is still doing the same thing in the same way, and nothing changes," he added.
Meanwhile, Mkhwanazi declined to comment on the fitness of National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.
"His approach to things will not be the same as mine," he said.
"He is a calmer guy," he added.
Mkhwanazi, by contrast, said he prefers a more direct approach.
"I was frustrated and I needed action fast," said Mkhwanazi, explaining why he opted to hold a press conference to highlight the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) instead of going through the prescribed processes.
"I didn't trust the process," he added, noting that previous attempts to raise the issue -- including seeking a meeting with suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu -- had failed.
READ: 'Sibiya, Mogotsi and Matlala aimed to block GP dockets' - Masemola
He said National Police Commissioner Masemola proceeded with the disbandment in phases, aiming to engage Mchunu.
While Mkhwanazi acknowledged that this approach may have achieved the same outcome, he believes it would have taken too long.