Police minister Senzo Mchunu facing is mounting pressure to publicly account after explosive allegations of interference to protect dodgy individuals accused of crime were levelled against him by KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on Sunday.
The portfolio committee on police chairperson Ian Cameron said on Sunday he has requested an urgent joint sitting in parliament on the back of Mkhwanazi’s allegations of rot within the criminal justice system. Makhwanazi alleged there was a plot to disband the political killings task team at the behest of crime syndicates with links to certain politicians and senior police generals.
Makhwanazi said Mchunu in December issued a directive to national police commissioner Lt-Gen Fannie Masemola to disband the task team. He said the decision may have been influenced by Mchunu’s associates, including businessman Vuzimusi “Cat” Matlala – who has been arrested for attempted murder – and another associate, Brown Mogotsi.
“If proven, the allegations paint a troubling picture of a police leadership unable or unwilling to uphold its constitutional duty to combat crime without fear or favour,” said Cameron.
Mchunu on Sunday dismissed Mkhwanazi’s allegations as baseless.
“These statements made by him (Mkhwanazi) in public require an urgent, thorough and transparent investigation on a proper platform,” said Mchunu.
A statement from his office further said: “The minister of police will never allow his integrity, that of the ministry or the SAPS at large, to be undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due process from anyone, including Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi. We will be reviewing the provincial commissioner’s statements and consider appropriate action.
“The minister of police will never allow his integrity to be undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due processes, from anyone.”
When Sowetan reached out to Mogotsi, he said he was unable to talk because he was in a meeting with his lawyers.
Mkhwanazi said there was an ulterior motive in disbanding the task team, which had unmasked a crime syndicate controlled by a drug cartel that involves politicians, law enforcement members, business people, prosecutors and the judiciary.
“On the 31st December 2024, the minister of police, Mr Senzo Mchunu, issued a letter to disband the political killings task team and to suspend the filling of all vacancies within the crime intelligence [division],” he said.
“In January, February and April 2025, the deputy national commissioner: crime detection, Lt-Gen [Shadrack] Sibiya, issued written instructions withdrawing all the case dockets from the task team to his office.”
RISE Mzansi national assembly whip Makashule Gana said the allegations could not be left to fester.
“It is therefore incumbent upon President Cyril Ramaphosa and the national police commissioner, Gen Fannie Masemola, to brief the nation on their knowledge of the allegations and the action that will be taken,” Gana said.
The EFF has called for the immediate suspension of Mchunu and Sibiya, saying they salute Mkhwanazi for his bravery “in standing up to this criminal cabal”.