The political landscape is often murky, but sometimes the waters become exceptionally cloudy. Senzo Mchunu's aide, Cedrick Nkabinde, is back in the hot seat, and the details are as intriguing as they are potentially damaging.
Cedrick Nkabinde, the Chief of Staff for suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, found himself back before the parliamentary ad hoc committee. This wasn't his first rodeo; he was previously sent away due to inaccuracies in his testimony. This time, however, the proceedings seemed to run more smoothly, with Nkabinde offering clearer and more precise answers.
Nkabinde's role in the unfolding drama involves a man named Brown Mogotsi, described as an intelligence peddler. Nkabinde admitted to facilitating meetings between Mogotsi and Minister Mchunu, acting as the go-between. Mogotsi's alleged goal? To influence the decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). But here's where it gets controversial: Nkabinde insists he's not a close associate of Mogotsi, despite his role in connecting him with the Minister.
This all began when Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner, made allegations of corruption. During the previous testimony, Nkabinde's credibility took a hit when he admitted to "thumb-sucking" information in his affidavit, a statement that understandably frustrated the MPs. He attributed the errors to not having access to his confiscated phone and laptop, but the committee wasn't buying it.
On Wednesday, Advocate Norman Arendse, SC, the evidence leader, pressed Nkabinde about his interactions with Mogotsi and the nature of Mogotsi's relationship with Mchunu. The meeting between Mogotsi and Mchunu took place during a period of intense criminal activity at mines in Stilfontein. Before the meeting, there was a staff meeting in Mchunu’s office to establish the best way forward in dealing with the illegal mining.
Nkabinde explained his role in setting up the meeting: "I confirm that it was at this meeting, when the minister provided me with the contact details of Mr Brown Mogotsi from the North West province and instructed that I contact Mr Mogotsi and ask him to come with some local leaders to brief him on the situation before his visit. I was accordingly instructed to facilitate this engagement."
He continued, "I contacted Mr Mogotsi on the same day, being August 20, 2025, and informed him that I would revert once a suitable date for the briefing had been identified. I followed the usual protocol that we follow with the staff to ascertain the minister’s earliest availability for the proposed meeting. I checked the minister’s availability with the personal assistant in order to facilitate the meeting with Mr Brown, as instructed."
And this is the part most people miss: Nkabinde stated that he does not consider Mogotsi a close friend. He clarified that he never referred to Brown Mogotsi as a close associate of the minister, as described by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi. He added, "I personally got to know Brown Mogotsi during my position as chief of staff. I facilitated several meetings between Minister Mchunu and Brown Mogotsi, together with other local leaders from the North West province, as stated and outlined hereinabove."
Regarding Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, Nkabinde stated he doesn't know him.
The hearings are ongoing. What do you make of the situation? Do you think Nkabinde is being truthful, or is there more to the story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
