Johannesburg – KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has made shocking allegations accusing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of meddling in high-profile crime investigations.
In an extraordinary briefing to journalists on Sunday, 6 July 2025, Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, dressed in military fatigues and flanked by police officers with high-calibre guns, gave details of the minister’s alleged meddling.
At the heart of the matter was the disbanding of the “political killings task team”, which Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi said was an attempt to block investigations of, among others, drug lords in Gauteng.
In 2018, President Ramaphosa established the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) Police Minister, the Minister of State Security, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Justice.
The IMC led to the creation of the police “political killings task team,” which has been investigating 612 case dockets, including murders, attempted murders, conspiracy to murder, intimidation, and other crimes.
The updates on crime fighting outlined by General Mkhwanazi include:
- 436 suspects arrested and charged
- 156 firearms recovered, 55 of these linked through ballistic testing to politically related cases
- In addition, 35 suspects who are police officers were arrested.
- 128 accused found guilty in 106 cases, at least 29 life sentences meted out
However, despite this success, Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi said on 26 March this year, 121 case dockets were taken away from the task team by Deputy National Commissioner of Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, allegedly acting on the instruction of Police Minister Mchunu.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi alleged that the cases remain with General Sibiya without being investigated.
He said at least five of these dockets had reached a stage to effect arrests when they were handed over to General Sibiya.
However, Lieutenant General Mkhwanzi said the arrests were not carried out.
He said only 112 cases, which include the murders at the University of Fort Hare and killings of traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal, were still under probe by the task team.
General Mkhwanazi said he sent 10 members of the task team to assist their counterparts in Gauteng to tackle serious crime regarding he murder of 30-year-old engineer, Armard Swart, an employee at Q Tech Engineering Company based in Vereeniging.
Swart was fatally shot on 17 April 2024 while seated in his vehicle outside his workplace by two suspects who were driving a white Hyundai i20.
He said the joint unit unmasked a syndicate including MPs, rogue police officers, and prosecutors in Gauteng, all allegedly controlled by the drug cartel.
Two drug lords have since been arrested.
General Mkhwanazi said the probe into the cellphone communications of the arrested suspects has pointed to a possible plot to derail law enforcers.
He said, in one of the investigations, recovered cellphone messages allegedly show a link between businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who was recently arrested for murder, and one Mr. Brown Mogotsi, an associate of Police Minister Mchunu.
Responding to the allegations, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police MP Ian Cameron said he has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to request an urgent parliamentary debate on the disturbing allegations that emerged today regarding SAPS leadership.
“Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi alleged that Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya obstructed justice, stalled investigations into political assassinations and organised crime, and shielded politically connected suspects by taking control of over 120 sensitive dockets,” MP Cameron noted.
“Further allegations implicate the Minister of Police, suggesting links to controversial figures like Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is facing serious criminal allegations yet reportedly remains politically protected while benefitting from lucrative SAPS contracts.
“It has also been claimed that the Minister disbanded the specialised political killings task team, delayed critical Crime Intelligence appointments, and interfered in ongoing investigations, weakening SAPS’s ability to fight organised crime effectively.”
Cameron said Parliament and the Presidency must ensure these claims are independently and thoroughly investigated to restore public trust and demonstrate accountability.
“South Africans deserve clear answers,” he said.
Reacting to the allegations in a statement made available to The Bulrushes, Police Minister Mchunu rejected the accusations of meddling levelled against him by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, saying they were “baseless”.
The minister said he had been “made aware of today’s media briefing called by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, making a number of wild allegations and claims on a variety of issues”.
The Minister said he “will never allow” his integrity, that of the Ministry or the SAPS to be “undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due process, from anyone, including Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi”.
Minister Mchunu added: “We will be reviewing the Provincial Commissioner’s statements and consider appropriate action.
“All these statements made by him in public require an urgent, thorough and transparent investigation, on a proper platform.”
The Minister said he remains committed to upholding the rule of law, ensuring accountability within the SAPS, and serving the people of South Africa with integrity.
In a previous public disagreement, the police minister was accused of targeting the KZN top cop, something he denied.
At the time, Minister Mchunu said he was not the one who laid a complaint against Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, alleging that he prevented the arrest of an alleged dirty prison boss.
