KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi dropped bombshell allegations during a tense press briefing on Sunday, accusing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya of serious misconduct and interference in police operations. Declaring himself “combat ready,” Mkhwanazi said he was prepared to risk his life in defense of the police badge, vowing to open a criminal case against the minister.
Mkhwanazi claimed that Minister Mchunu had overstepped his authority by allegedly orchestrating the closure of a special task team investigating politically motivated killings in KwaZulu-Natal. According to Mkhwanazi, the minister’s interference undermined national security and shielded a web of corruption involving politicians, senior police officials, and even prosecutors.
During the briefing, Mkhwanazi said a private meeting was arranged between himself, Mchunu, and Sibiya, allegedly to smooth tensions. However, the commissioner insisted that “there can never be peace between a criminal and a policeman,” describing Sibiya as a criminal and accusing him of acting under Mchunu’s instructions to derail investigations.
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Mkhwanazi said that in March, 121 critical case dockets were suddenly removed from the Political Killings Task Team and shelved at the SAPS headquarters in Pretoria—without his knowledge or that of National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola. He stated that five of those cases had already included instructions for arrests, but no action was taken.
The top cop alleged that the disbanded task team had begun unearthing connections between a powerful drug cartel and politicians currently serving in Parliament, a development that may have prompted the abrupt shutdown of the unit. “The investigation these members were involved with in Gauteng has unmasked a syndicate. It involves politicians who are currently serving in Parliament,” Mkhwanazi said.
Further, Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of misleading Parliament regarding his relationship with Brown Mokgotsi, an associate allegedly granted access to confidential SAPS documents and internal communication about the disbandment of the unit. While Mchunu denied knowing Mokgotsi during a parliamentary session, he later publicly admitted that Mokgotsi was a “comrade from North West.”
Dressed in his Special Task Force combat uniform and flanked by armed STF and TRT members, Mkhwanazi gave the impression of a commissioner under siege but determined to expose wrongdoing at the highest levels. He also defended National Commissioner Masemola and recently arrested senior officers, suggesting they were being framed for their involvement in exposing covert intelligence activities.
The Political Killings Task Team was a high-level multidisciplinary initiative formed in 2018, comprising SAPS, the NPA, State Security, and Correctional Services. Its mandate was to investigate political assassinations, particularly rampant in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mkhwanazi’s allegations have sparked national concern, with President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly describing the situation as a “grave national security concern.” With mounting pressure and a public demand for transparency, the rift within South Africa’s police leadership is now fully exposed—and could signal a major shake-up in law enforcement and politics alike.
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