Nkabinde reveals he facilitated Mchunu's meetings with Mogotsi, but was not in attendance

Chief of Staff Cedric Nkabinde says suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu instructed him to arrange meetings with Brown Mogotsi and other ANC figures at the Minister’s residences, though he was not included in those meetings.

Appearing before the committee, Nkabinde said his role as Chief of Staff included coordinating communication between the Minister, the public and the media, managing his calendar, facilitating meetings, and ensuring the smooth daily running of the Minister’s office.

“I’m responsible for the day-to-day running of the office, facilitating meetings, ensuring the Minister’s calendar is accordingly managed, and supporting him in all meetings he attends,” he said.

Nkabinde confirmed that he knew Brown Mogotsi and that Minister Mchunu also knew him from the North West province.

He said Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had sent him Mogotsi’s number, which he verified.

Asked whether he facilitated meetings between the Minister and Mogotsi, Nkabinde agreed. 

''Thats correct.'' he said. 

He told the committee that since joining the Ministry in August 2024, he recalled only one meeting between Mchunu and Mogotsi that took place, and a second one that was cancelled.

“In the one meeting that did take place, I facilitated it, but I did not enter the boardroom,” he said.

Nkabinde explained that he got to know Mogotsi only in his capacity as Chief of Staff when he had to arrange those meetings.

“When I facilitate meetings, I need to know the purpose so that I can brief the guest. During that time, we were dealing with illegal mining in Stilfontein in the North West.

''The Minister asked me to contact this comrade from the North West, to come with a few local leaders so he could understand what was going on,” Nkabinde said.

He confirmed that the meeting took place at the Minister’s official residence in Pretoria, not a private one. “We work from that house. We hardly go to the office. In that residence, we have offices. It was an oversight to say private, it is the official residence,” he told the committee after being pressed by MPs.

Asked why he did not attend the meeting despite it being work-related, Nkabinde said he chose not to enter.

“These were private people, not official people. I thought I should give the Minister space to speak with them. If he wanted me, he would have called me in,” he said.

He added that the Minister sometimes held official meetings without him present, saying, “Some of the meetings, the Minister excuses me. Sometimes he doesn’t invite me. I respect that.”

When questioned about the identities of those who accompanied Mogotsi, Nkabinde said he did not know them.

He explained that Mogotsi had told him he would be bringing “other comrades” and that he assumed they were ANC members. “He did not mention ANC comrades. I assumed when he mentioned comrades,” Nkabinde clarified.

MPs raised concerns about the venue of the meeting, with some noting the contradiction between it being described as a “private” and “official” residence. Nkabinde conceded the point, saying, “It was an oversight to say private. It was the official residence in Pretoria.”

He also denied ever receiving WhatsApp messages from Mogotsi that included “Cat Vusi Matlala,” who appeared in messages shown to the committee.

“He has never sent me a message or copied me in a message with Cat Matlala, who is also referred to as Dlamini,” Nkabinde told the committee.

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