Cape Town — Political parties have expressed disappointment after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu declared the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) report on the Phala Phala scandal as classified and top secret.
The investigation focused on the conduct of VIP police officers assigned to President Cyril Ramaphosa following the 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala farm.
Mchunu said that the decision to classify the report was due to specific regulations that require certain documents to be kept secret.
However, he clarified that the classification does not mean the report cannot be discussed.
“The agencies that state such decisions do so without the influence of the ministry. They look at criteria, and they say this particular report must be categorised in a particular way,” he said.
He said he understood public demand for reports but said it was important to comply with rules and regulations.
WATCH BELOW:
[WATCH] Mchunu on the declaration of the Phala Phala report as top secret by Ipid: “In the country, there are certain rules and regulations like declaring a report a top secret. It doesn’t mean the report can’t be availed [or] discussed. It means it must follow certain rules and… pic.twitter.com/grPH6J3HJ9
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 5, 2025
In response to Mchunu’s decision, several opposition political parties expressed disappointment and concern that the report was not made public.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemned the deliberate efforts to protect Ramaphosa and said the “top secret” classification is a shielding of him.
“It is now clear that every level of governance and law enforcement has been amnipulated to ensure that no action is taken against Ramaphosa, despite overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing,” the party said.
The party said it would consider all options in the fight against corruptionm including approaching the courts to de-classify and release the IPID report.
The EFF Statement on Police Minister’s Refusal to Release IPID Report on Phala Phala
-The classification of the IPID report as “top secret” is just the latest chapter in this systematic cover-up. The Police Minister’s refusal to release it is an insult to democracy and a direct… pic.twitter.com/unpWP1aq4w
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) March 5, 2025
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party was “outraged” by the decision to classify the report as top secret and said it was an attempt to protect Ramaphosa from accountability.
“At the heart of this cover-up is the abuse of police resources under the direct instructions of Mr Ramaphosa, who deployed General Wally Rhoode to orchestrate an illicit operation following the Phala Phala burglary,” it said.
The MK Party questioned Minister Mchunu’s role in the cover-up and called for him to be removed as Minister of Police for obstructing justice.
The party also called for a de-classification of the report and investigations into the Minister’s conduct.
[MEDIA STATEMENT]: MK PARTY CONDEMNS IPID REPORT CLASSIFICATION AND DEMANDS THE REMOVAL OF POLICE MINISTER SENZO MCHUNU FOR PROTECTING RAMAPHOSA IN THE PHALA PHALA COVER-UP. pic.twitter.com/MHzqT4sCyV
— MK Party in Parliament (@MKParliament) March 5, 2025
According to SABC News, DA Member of Parliament Lisa Schickerling says ranking the IPID report as top secret, whereas other reports on the same incident are publicly accessible, raises serious concerns about selective transparency.
“And we feel that this report should be made public to everybody, and we reject any attempt to suppress information from the public because obviously this is a matter of public interest. And we will continue to fight for transparency, not only in the police but in the whole of government.”
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
