Celani Sikhakhane
Community Safety members in the KZN legislature are concerned about the no-shows of two key officials to meetings to discuss the Phoenix massacre.
General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the provincial police commissioner, and Peggy Nkonyeni, MEC for Community Safety, were supposed to attend a meeting two weeks ago in Chatsworth, where events surrounding the Phoenix massacre were going to be discussed.
However, they never showed up.
Another critical meeting was held virtually last week and again the two political figures responsible for safety in the province were nowhere to be seen.
Mkhwanazi is also being accused of undermining the members of the committee by failing to come to their meeting to account about the Phoenix Massacre.
EFF and ANC members in the committee told Scrolla.Africa that they were frustrated.
An ANC committee member said Mkhwanazi was even failing to answer questions about the instigators.
“We asked him why KZN has only two people who have been arrested for the unrest. He also got a tip off about a WhatsApp group that was planning the unrest, but he didn’t do anything,” an ANC member said.
Vusi Khoza of the EFF said Mkhwanazi was arrogant.
“He doesn’t attend our portfolio meetings. Ngizwe Mchunu and another guy from Ladysmith are the only people arrested. But the real instigators are roaming the streets. Others were in videos instigating violence but none of them have been arrested. MEC Nkonyeni has shown that she is not fit to lead this department,” said Khoza.
Nkonyeni’s spokesperson, Thuba Vilane, said the MEC has never snubbed any meetings.
“She has been busy with the Phoenix matter for a very long time. The only meeting she was unable to attend was in Chatsworth but she sent her head of department and other officials to represent her,” said Vilane.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said that Mkhwanazi will need more time to respond.
Images sources: @NkonyeniPeggy & SAPS
