KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has made a series of serious allegations against SAPS top cops, implicating senior officials in corruption and political interference in police operations.
In a public briefing on SAPS operations in the province, Mkhwanazi accused senior police officials and political leaders of interfering in high-profile investigations and aiding criminal syndicates.
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Central to his claims is the disbandment of the political killings task team, which Mkhwanazi alleges occurred under direct instruction from Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Mkhwanazi further alleged that five of those dockets had instructions to arrest suspects, but action was halted due to their withdrawal. He accused senior figures within the police, judiciary, and prosecutors of enabling criminals, and claimed police were in possession of firearms linked to killings of high-profile South Africans, without taking appropriate steps.
“The political killings task team remains operational, therefore we have embarked on a process of registering a political investigation in order to deal with this infiltration and control of criminal justice by the organised crime,” he added.
Minister Mchunu has strongly denied the accusations. He confirmed the matter would be reviewed and said Mkhwanazi’s comments demand “an urgent, thorough and transparent investigation, on a proper platform”. Mchunu was on a campaign trail in Vryheid, in KZN, when this was brought to his attention.
“I will never allow my integrity, that of the Ministry or the SAPS at large to be undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due processes.”
Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, another top cop Mkhwanazi implicated, dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“What General Mkhwanazi is doing is embarrassing. We are not going to bend to his level,” he told the SABC.
President Cyril Ramaphosa noted statements made calling the matter “a grave national security concern”. He says the matter is receiving the highest priority attention.
The President urged restraint and warned that “the trading of accusations and counter-accusations threatens to undermine public confidence and sow confusion.”
He is expected to announce his next actions when he return from the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Brazil.
