Prof Firoz Cachalia was sitting in his lounge at home on Sunday watching the men’s Wimbledon final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz when he heard his phone ring several times from his bedroom.
Cachalia, an ardent tennis follower, was determined to watch the game to the finish without disturbance as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office frantically tried to reach him ahead of his planned national address at 7pm.
Cachalia’s cellphone was charging in his upstairs bedroom, and he could hear it ring, unaware that the caller was the president.
After some time, Cachalia decided to make his way to the bedroom, only to find missed calls from numbers he wasn’t familiar with. As he held his phone in his hands, it rang again, and it was Ramaphosa. The president had the country waiting for his announcement regarding the corruption allegations against police minister Senzo Mchunu
“Ramaphosa told me that they had called my brother and my wife, looking for me, before they actually reached me. I told him I heard the phone ring but I was ignoring it on purpose [because] I actually didn’t think it was urgent,” he said.
Cachalia said he was meant to have met with Ramaphosa last week during the meeting of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, of which he is the chairperson. The council was said to present proposals to Ramaphosa, but he could not attend.
“I initially thought his call was about that [meeting]. But instead, he said, ‘Let me get straight to the point – I want to appoint you [as acting police minister].’ I then listened.
“He asked if I would agree. I explained that I’m currently employed at the university [as professor in the Wits School of Law and director of its Mandela Institute] and that I’m due to retire at the end of this month, which is why he [Ramaphosa] adjusted the appointment date for me to start from the 1st of August.”
Cachalia’s appointment came just a few days before his 67th birthday on July 22.
In his address, Ramaphosa announced that Mchunu would be put on leave of absence. This came after KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi last week alleged that Mchunu interfered with sensitive police investigations. Mkhwanazi also accused him of protecting controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
The president announced that a commission of inquiry will investigate Mkhwanazi’s allegations, which rattled the country for most of last week.
Cachalia said the allegations against Mchunu were very concerning. “But there aren’t any facts established at this point, and I think that the process of determining the facts has to be respected.
“From my point of view, the president appointing me and calling it an acting appointment seems right to me. It’s leaving the door open for any determination to be made to this process,” he said.
Cachalia will officially be sworn in when he starts in his new role in August.
“So my job, as I understand it at the moment, once I’m appointed in August as a member of the cabinet, is to carry out the responsibility that the president has allocated to me for as long as it is fit. So I’m not making any assumptions,” he said.
I initially thought his call was about that [meeting]. But instead, he said, ‘Let me get straight to the point – I want to appoint you [as acting police minister].’ I then listened.
— Prof Firoz Cachalia
Cachalia, a former anti-apartheid activist in the then Transvaal province, entered the Gauteng provincial legislature in 1994, representing the ANC, and served as speaker from 1999 to 2004. He also served as MEC for community safety and later, as MEC for economic development.
After his tenure in provincial government, he transitioned into academia, joining Wits as a law professor. Since 2022, he has also chaired the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council.
“The feeling among our people is definitely that they’re not living in a country very safe and secure,” he said. “There is a loss of trust. I’m thinking carefully already about what challenges lie before me. I know that it’s going to have a huge impact on my life in terms of what’s expected of me.
“But I’m not thinking about the difficulties. I’m not thinking about problems. I’m thinking about what needs to be done,” he said.
Cachalia said it was an honour to be asked to serve. “I feel humbled by the president’s request. I am, of course, aware of the difficult circumstances that have ... led up to my appointment.
"I’m sure that the inquiry will assist the country to determine the facts, which I think is very important. My responsibility is to step up to the plate and to tackle the challenge of improving the safety of our people with as much vigour and strength as I can.”
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