Testimony of forensic examiner Paul O’Sullivan at Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by SAPS KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, came to an abrupt end when he walked out of the hearing.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has formally called on National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to lay a criminal charge of contempt of Parliament against forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan following his dramatic walkout from an ad hoc committee hearing.
In a letter dated 26 February 2026, the party’s National Chairperson and Parliamentary Chief Whip, Nontando Nolutshungu, said O’Sullivan’s conduct before the Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was contemptuous and warranted criminal action.
IOL previously reported that Paul O’Sullivan walked out of the committee meeting on Thursday without being excused by the chairperson, abruptly ending his appearance and sparking immediate outrage from several Members of Parliament.
In its letter to Didiza, the EFF cited the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act 4 of 2014, noting that witnesses appearing before parliamentary committees are compelled to answer questions put to them under oath.
The party specifically referenced Section 16(2) of the Act, which requires a person being examined to answer any question put to them in connection with the subject of the inquiry, even if the answer may incriminate them.
It further cited Section 17(1)(c), which provides that a person who fails, without sufficient cause, to answer fully and satisfactorily all questions lawfully put to them commits an offence and is liable to a fine or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.
“The conduct of Mr O’Sullivan is more egregious than just him refusing to answer to Parliament, and is of such a contemptuous nature that Parliament is invited to assert its authority and hold O’Sullivan to account,” the EFF wrote.
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan during a previous appearance. The EFF has formally asked National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to lay a charge of contempt of Parliament against him following his walkout from an ad hoc committee hearing.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The party urged Didiza, as the “ultimate authority in Parliament”, to open a charge for contempt and to report back urgently with the date and time the complaint would be processed with the relevant authorities.
As IOL previously reported, the chairperson of the ad hoc committee indicated that Parliamentary Legal Services would be consulted to determine the appropriate course of action following the walkout, while political parties debated whether the conduct constituted a prosecutable offence under parliamentary law.
The incident has intensified political tensions around the work of the ad hoc committee, with the EFF now formally escalating the matter and placing the onus squarely on the Speaker to act.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News