As tensions build up ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's address on Sunday evening, organisations and individuals are speaking out on the conflict involving KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and police minister Senzo Mchunu.
Last Sunday Mkhwanazi made the shocking claim that the disbandment of the political killings task team was orchestrated to shield politically connected members of a criminal syndicate from prosecution, with the assistance of Mchunu.
Now, as the country waits for Ramaphosa’s promised response to the claims, voices are emerging, opinions are being aired and people are taking sides. One of these is the humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers, which has come out firmly in Mkhwanazi’s corner.
“SAPS is so often vilified, insulted, demeaned, maligned, accused of corruption, inaction and inefficiency. Yes, there are those within the SAPS, as in every institution, that have failed to perform, but to generalise and paint an entire institution with the same negativity is disingenuous, demoralising, unjust and unfair to those men and women in blue who put their lives on the line, who strive to serve with distinction, in spite of being under-resourced, unprotected, outgunned and unmatched by sophisticated criminal networks with the most advanced technology at their behest,” Gift of the Givers stated on its social media.
“Leadership, bravery, courage, intelligence, pragmatism, fairness and justice appears in the form of Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who challenges superiors, management, politicians, lawmakers and the system itself, in the interest of the citizens of our beloved country.”
“Gift of the Givers stands behind this honourable man totally,” said the disaster relief group’s founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman.
“He represents everything that is right in the SAPS confronting organised crime in the form of CIT heists, drug dealing, corrupt politicians and civil servants, tenderpreneurs, construction mafia, taxi gangsters, hijackers and those defeating the ends of justice within all facets of the criminal justice system,” said Sooliman.
“Here is a servant of the law who inspires his own teams to be fearless, courageous and decisive in confronting everything that is rotten to the core in our society. We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to personally give this servant of the state a hearing on the allegations and on how to improve the crime-fighting capability of the state and fully support him as the president has done so previously by calling for the establishment of a task team to deal with political killings so rife in KZN.”
Ramaphosa was attending the Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last Sunday when Mkhwanazi made his astounding accusations.
Mchunu has hit back, describing the claims as “baseless” and “wild allegations”. However, he later admitted to knowing one of the suspects named by Mkhwanazi, businessman Brown Mgotsi — dismissing their links as “just a comrade”.
Ramaphosa's office says he has “been seized with this matter ... and will, following various consultations, take the nation into his confidence” at 7pm on Sunday”.
TimesLIVE
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