-
Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard has been accused of fueling attacks against the Crime Intelligence unit.
The Democratic Alliance MP, Dianne Kohler-Barnard, says she won’t recuse herself as a Member of Parliament’s Joint Committee for Intelligence following revelations made at the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria on Thursday.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused Barnard of disclosing classified intelligence information. He says she is one of the leaders in the legislature breaking the law.
Barnard has vehemently refuted the allegations.
“I categorically and in the strongest possible terms, refute (the claims). They are outrageous, defamatory, and entirely baseless. I quoted exactly from what was released all over the news. I had no secret information. I had nothing else other than what was out in the public domain. And as a normal MP, not a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence at that stage. I had every right to do so,” says Barnard.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to implement the recommendations of the Madlanga Commission. Speaking to SABC News political editor Mzwandile Mbeje, he described the commission – set up to investigate political interference and organised crime – as a transformative process.
Public hearings began on 17 September 2025 with KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanzi as the first witness.
“I mean, some of the things that are being said are quite startling and worrying. And therefore, I want to see the whole picture. I do not want to make a judgment on just first day or second day of presentations or evidence. We need to look at everything holistically. But the good thing about having a commission, which is headed by a judge is that they will examine all the evidence and present us with a synthesis of what they have examined and with recommendations,” says Ramaphosa.
Mkhwanazi has also raised concerns that MP and leader of the National Coloured Congress, Fadiel Adams has access to classified crime intelligence.
Mkhwanazi says Adams is not authorized to be in possession of such information.
The KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner was giving evidence at the Madlanga commission which is looking into allegations of corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
“This is a person that I said commissioner is not within the joint standing committee of intelligence in parliament. But he speaks, he opens a criminal case about the matters of crime intelligence. Mr. Adams further claims that there is an abuse of the secret fund account. He doesn’t have oversight he doesn’t even have the budget allocated because he is not part of that committee. But he claims that there is an abuse of the secret fund account at crime intelligence,” says Mkhwanazi.
Video: Madlanga Commission – Concern over Adams’ access to classified material:
