Malema Halts Parliament Hearing Over Oath Dispute, Slams Evidence “Farce”

CAPE TOWN, October 7 — Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema derailed a parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee  hearing on Tuesday, demanding police commissioner Ndlandla Mkhwanazi retake his oath before testifying and condemning the committee’s acceptance of unsworn evidence as a “constitutional farce.”

Malema halted proceedings minutes after Mkhwanazi’s scheduled appearance, insisting the KwaZulu-Natal police chief could not be questioned until formally sworn in. “You can’t engage him—he hasn’t taken an oath. If you ask him a question, I have a right to ask too. That’s how chaos starts,” Malema warned, accusing the Ad Hoc Committee of bypassing procedural safeguards.

The EFF president lambasted attempts to treat a “supplementary statement” from the executive-led Madlanga Commission as original parliamentary evidence, calling it a bid to reduce lawmakers to “rubber stamps.” “There’s no law where a first statement is called supplementary. We will not be embarrassed on camera,” said Malema, a self-described “lawmaker, not lawyer,” while demanding Mkhwanazi submit fresh testimony directly to Parliament.

Tensions peaked as Malema accused the committee’s legal team of enabling improper evidence-sharing between the Commission and Parliament, branding the practice “unconstitutional.” His declaration that “we are not a junior committee—we are Parliament!” triggered heated exchanges, prompting an abrupt adjournment before substantive discussions began.

The standoff delays scrutiny of allegations probed by the Madlanga inquiry and deepens institutional rifts, with Malema framing the clash as a defense of legislative sovereignty. No date was set for Mkhwanazi’s rescheduled appearance.