SAfm, Thursday morning

Let's take Msanzi to Luxembourg. First take SA on SAFM, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 a.m. Now remember, you can engage with us on the Facebook page as well as on the Twitter handle and let me know what's on your mind. Taxpayers have paid 2.7 million rand towards the legal costs of the police minister Senzum Kunu, who remains on special leave.

While Professor Firoz Khachalia serves as the acting police minister, the chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, says President Sura Mapoza must act to end what he describes as a costly arrangement. Mokakelli Bandla filed this report. In a written parliamentary reply, acting police minister Professor Firoz Khachalia confirms that the state is funding the legal representation of police.

Minister Senzum Trunu, who is on special leave, and a concern has been raised about this legal bill that comes on top of the remuneration paid to Tom Trunu while on special leave. This means that South African taxpayers are paying for an acting minister of police. Secondly, they are paying the full package just over 3 million rand per annum for the special leave minister of police that is Senzum Trunu. And they have also paid, and this is the most shocking part, just the

Over 2.7 million rand on legal costs. Mkkunu was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year following allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption, and political interference in the justice system raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Ntantam Konazi. He appointed the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to investigate the matter, while Parliament established an EDO committee also to probe these allegations. Mkunu is denied.

The allegations. Cameron argues that the president should consider the arrangement as the legal costs continue to accumulate. It is critical for the president to act. There's no need for us to have two ministers of police, especially while one is not providing any kind of service at all. Just imagine the amount of police members we could appoint on ground level that could serve communities. The acting minister says the amount committed to Mkunu's future legal representation remains.

Subject to administrative, legal, and financial processes, the South African Police Service says it does not currently have those figures. The police ministry says it has intensified engagements to ensure next week's local government elections take place in a safe and secure environment. The ministry says it is receiving regular briefings from SAPS Top Management and the NAT Joint.