Mapaballo Borotho
Political parties have responded sharply to bombshell allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, with mounting calls for Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to be placed on special leave.
Mkhwanazi briefed the media on the work of the political killings task team in Durban on Sunday, where he made explosive claims implicating top police officials.
He questioned Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s role in dissolving the task team, stating that it had been making great strides in the battle against organised crime.
Mkhwanazi revealed that in March, Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, apparently acting on instructions from the minister, took control of 121 case dockets linked to political killings. He alleged that Sibiya, under the direction of Minister Mchunu, conspired with senior officials to conceal criminal activity.
During his briefing, General Mkhwanazi said he is willing to surrender his life for the safety of South Africans.
“My families are spread across the provinces; it is my duty and the fellow police officers’ to protect them, so I am not going to surrender their freedom. I am not going to surrender their safety to anyone,” he said.
“I will die for this badge, and I will die for them, so I will fight this fight until the end.”
He added that most criminals are influenced by drugs to murder, rape and commit other crimes, and that removing drugs from the streets could help rehabilitate many offenders.
“Therefore, we need to get rid of drugs. We understand that when we fight with the drug cartels that have controlled police generals, controlled prosecutions and judiciary, it is not going to be a small game. So unfortunately, some of us have to sacrifice — we have reached a stage where we are sacrificing for the good of South Africa, for children of South Africa to be free from drugs.”
The EFF has hailed Mkhwanazi for what it calls bravery in standing up to a criminal cabal.
The party’s spokesperson, Sinawo Thambo, said the ANC government, through individuals like Senzo Mchunu, has transformed the state into a haven for gangsters masquerading as leaders.
“The ANC-led government has become a breeding ground for a mafia state, where political offices are used not to serve the public but to shield criminals and extract public wealth.”
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party echoed the EFF’s sentiments, demanding the immediate arrest of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
“The evidence implicating Minister Mchunu is serious and calls for the law to take its course. No one is above the law, and any further inaction will confirm suspicions of institutional protection and political interference.”
At the same time, ActionSA said South Africa’s criminal justice system has been hollowed out by those tasked with eradicating criminality.
“These allegations raise grave concerns about the integrity and functionality of the country’s law enforcement leadership and more critically, the troubling national security threats that this poses,” said the party’s spokesperson, Dereleen James.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the situation as a matter of grave national security concern that threatens public trust in the country’s rule of law.
Responding to Mkhwanazi’s allegations while attending the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ramaphosa said:
“It is vital that the integrity of the country’s security services is safeguarded and that the rule of law is affirmed. All parties to this matter are called upon to exercise discipline and restraint. The trading of accusations and counter-accusations threatens to undermine public confidence and sow confusion. Furthermore, these actions damage the unity and focus of the police.”
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has since dismissed the allegations, labelling them as baseless and stating that he will “apply his mind” to the statements when the time is right.
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