The Citizen: Mchunu, Cachalia salaries equal R6.19m could have funded 13 detectives

More than R6.19 million paid to suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and acting minister Firoz Cachalia could have been used to fund frontline detectives, according to reporting by The Citizen.

How the figure was calculated

The Citizen reported that Mchunu received more than R3.16 million while on special leave, during which he remained at home for over a year. The same reporting said Cachalia has received over R3.024 million for performing the duties after he was sworn in as acting police minister on 1 August 2025, bringing the combined total to R6.19 million.

Parliamentary criticism and comparison to detective salaries

Ian Cameron, chair of the portfolio committee on police in parliament, is quoted by The Citizen making the comparison between the ministers’ pay and detective salaries. The Citizen reported Cameron saying the amount paid to Mchunu in absence could have funded about 13 experienced constable-ranked detectives for a year.

“On basic salary alone, Mchunu’s R3.16 million paid in absence equals to annual salaries of 13 experienced constable-ranked detectives,” said Ian Cameron, chair of the portfolio committee on police in parliament.

Context given by The Citizen

The Citizen framed these payments against broader concerns about policing priorities and resource constraints. The report noted that Mchunu was placed on special leave in July 2025 and that President Cyril Ramaphosa established the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to probe related allegations, as reported by The Citizen.

Questions raised

The Citizen quoted Cameron saying the payments raise questions about priorities and value for money, and that prolonged executive uncertainty diverts funds from strengthening policing capacity.