Taxpayers have spent over R6.18 million on ministerial remuneration for Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu between July 2025 and August 2026, parliamentary disclosures show.
According to a written reply from Cachalia to Parliament, Cachalia received R3,024,834.58 from 1 August 2025 to 31 August 2026. Senzo Mchunu’s remuneration, covering the period from 14 July 2025 after he was placed on special leave to 31 August 2026, totalled R3,162,529.90. Together, the ministerial salaries amounted to R6,187,364.48 during this period.
Mchunu was put on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 13 July 2025. The figures were released in response to a parliamentary question from MK Party MP Emerald Madlala and have been independently confirmed by several news outlets.
Cachalia explained that ministerial remuneration is determined under the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, 1998, with adjustments published in the Government Gazette.
Meanwhile, the ongoing challenge of policing infrastructure in Cape Town remains stark. Cachalia told Parliament there are no plans to construct a new police station in Kraaifontein within the next five to 10 years. Although Kraaifontein is listed among the Western Cape’s future capital works projects for new police stations, it is not included in the current South African Police Service (SAPS) infrastructure programme running from 2025/26 to 2030/31.
No timelines can be provided at this stage, as the SAPS is still implementing the first top 10 priority projects as signed off by the Western Cape provincial commissioner,” Cachalia said during a parliamentary briefing in late September 2026.
This disparity between ministerial remuneration and delayed police infrastructure investment in Kraaifontein, a community grappling with crime, highlights growing concerns about resource allocation. However, it is important to note that the ministers’ combined remuneration figure should not be equated with the actual cost of building a police station, as reported by multiple sources including IOL, Daily Voice, and TimesLIVE.
The parliamentary reply disclosing salaries has not been directly accessed from official government records but is verified through multiple independent media reports.
Cape Flats News will continue to monitor developments on the Kraaifontein police station project and updates on ministerial responsibilities as they unfold.