Public Backlash Against Breytenbach Over Mkhwanazi Remarks Resurfaces Old Controversies

Old Allegations Resurface as DA MP Faces Backlash Over Comments on Mkhwanazi Press Briefing

Glynnis Breytenbach faces criticism over her comments on Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s press briefing, as past allegations against her resurface.

Democratic Alliance (DA) MP and justice spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach is facing a storm of criticism after suggesting that KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi should have taken his corruption allegations to Parliament instead of airing them in a dramatic press briefing.

Mkhwanazi’s briefing alleged political interference in police work, misuse of state resources, and obstruction of investigations. Flanked by armed officers, his public statement captured the nation’s attention and set off a heated debate about accountability. Breytenbach, however, argued that the matter should have been brought before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, where investigative powers and due process are available.

Her critics counter that Parliament often moves too slowly or quietly buries politically sensitive matters, and they credit Mkhwanazi’s public approach for forcing the allegations into the open. Many South Africans believe that without the press conference, the matter might never have been pursued seriously.

Amid this backlash, Breytenbach is also facing renewed scrutiny over her own history. Social media users and political opponents have resurfaced past allegations that she lied under oath during her time as a senior prosecutor at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). While Breytenbach has consistently denied wrongdoing and was acquitted in certain disciplinary matters, the controversy remains part of her public record and is now being used to question her credibility in calling for formal parliamentary processes.

This convergence of past and present issues has intensified public debate over trust in political figures, the effectiveness of Parliament in ensuring accountability, and whether whistle-blowers and officials should go public or stick strictly to institutional channels. For Breytenbach, the criticism underscores how political statements can quickly reignite old controversies, reshaping public perception in the heat of a national discussion.

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