Suspended Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedric Nkabinde, has reiterated before Parliament that his contact with alleged intelligence informant Brown Mogotsi was minimal. Appearing before the ad hoc committee investigating police corruption on Wednesday, Nkabinde maintained that Nkabinde tells MPs he only met Mogotsi once to facilitate a meeting concerning illegal mining activities in Stilfontein, North West.
Nkabinde explained that his involvement with Mogotsi was confined strictly to logistical arrangements for that single meeting. The meeting was reportedly convened after several zama zamas died underground during illegal mining operations in the area. According to Nkabinde, Mogotsi’s role appeared to be linked to his familiarity with the province, though he stressed that he had no insight into Mchunu’s reasoning for involving Mogotsi in the matter.
His testimony resumed this week after last week’s session had to be halted to correct discrepancies in his original written statement. Evidence leader Norman Arendse continued questioning Nkabinde about the nature of Mogotsi’s relationship with Mchunu and whether Mogotsi played any broader role in the minister’s activities.
Nkabinde insisted that Mogotsi’s participation ended immediately after the Stilfontein engagement. He said he had never again observed Mogotsi entering the minister’s office, nor did he receive any request to facilitate further meetings between the two men. This assertion is significant, as Mogotsi has been linked to allegations that he attempted to influence the decision to disband the political killings task team (PKTT), a claim that has added to the growing scrutiny of internal police and ministerial operations.
Throughout the hearing, Nkabinde maintained a consistent line: his contact with Mogotsi was brief, procedural, and limited to a single purpose. As the committee continues its inquiry into allegations of police corruption, his testimony is expected to shape key aspects of the investigation’s next phase.
