Police minister Senzo Mchunu is facing 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. Mkhwanazi 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.
Mkhwanazi 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.
Matlala was awarded a R360m contract from the police in 2024, he said. He said further investigations revealed that Mchunu was communicating with Mogotsi and Matlala.
“Further analysis of the chats indicates that Matlala is financially supporting the minister of police and Mr Brown Mogotsi’s political endeavours,” said Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi also said there was a ploy to silence investigations into the murders of personalities in the entertainment industry. He said senior officials protecting the interests of criminal networks tied to drug cartels are behind the stalling of the investigations.
“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.
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
— Makashule Gana
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”.
“His principled stance and commitment to the rule of law are commendable, especially in the face of a deliberate political smear campaign designed to undermine his leadership and isolate him within the SAPS.”
However, in an interview with the SABC Sibiya said he was shocked and surprised by Mkhwanazi’s allegations.
“I am disappointed and shocked because the last time I spoke to Mkhwanazi was on Friday and all was well. This matter just came to my attention now, I have not been made aware of all the details and I will most certainly respond
“As a disciplined member of the SAPS I am not going to the path of Gen Mkhwanazi, I am not going to say things that I cannot prove. All I can say is that I will respond. I just need to speak to my legal team and I am giving him [Mkhwanazi] permission to share the evidence that he claims he has with the media.He does not have to come to me, he must open a case and arrest.”
Sibiya said Mkhwanazi’s behaviour was embarrassing. “We are not going to bend to his level.”
Cameron said the allegations were worrying: “The mention of 'Cat' Matlala confirms a lot of questions that we have raised about him. How he seems to survive the justice system despite having so many transgressions leveled against him and being found guilty of some. It begs the question of where is the integrity of the police.”
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