MBABANE – Former South African president Jacob Zuma and his uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party have approached the Pretoria High Court in an urgent bid to overturn President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave.
The move follows a Constitutional Court ruling on 31 July 2025 that dismissed Zuma’s direct access application, saying the matter did not fall within its exclusive jurisdiction. Ramaphosa’s legal team, led by advocate Kate Hofmeyr, argued that such cases should be heard first by the High Court or Supreme Court of Appeal.
In his founding affidavit, Zuma said he is acting both personally and on behalf of the MK party, seeking to have Ramaphosa’s appointment of Wits law professor Feroz Cachalia as acting police minister declared unlawful. He also wants the commission of inquiry chaired by retiring Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga set aside, arguing it was improperly established to probe allegations of criminal infiltration in the justice system made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Zuma contends there is no legal provision allowing the president to place a minister on leave, saying such power can only be implied from the authority to dismiss, which is not the same as suspending an employee. He accuses Ramaphosa of acting in bad faith, claiming the decision benefits Mchunu financially while shielding him from accountability.
The former president further argues that Cachalia, already in office, is making security-related decisions while Mchunu remains on the payroll with full ministerial privileges. He says the urgency stems from the commission’s ongoing work at significant cost to taxpayers, warning that the matter cannot wait until its final report.
Zuma has also questioned the legality of granting the Madlanga Commission powers reserved for the Judicial Service and Magistrates’ Commissions, saying it risks undermining judicial independence.
The High Court is set to hear the matter on 26 August 2025.
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