JOHANNESBURG – Prominent forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has voiced serious concerns for his safety, alleging that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has publicly incited violence against him. O'Sullivan has formally requested protection from the Madlanga Commission, submitting a detailed dossier of allegations alongside his urgent plea.
In an email correspondence dated October 10th to the commission secretary, O’Sullivan reveals the depth of his apprehension. “Due to the threats against me and the violence that Lt-gen Mkhwanazi has publicly incited against me, I would request that we have an urgent discussion to take steps to prevent an attempt at my murder,” he wrote.
This plea to the commission is directly linked to the escalating public feud between the investigator and the high-ranking police official. The situation took a further legal turn just hours after O’Sullivan's email, when his legal team launched a counter-offensive, demanding R10 million in damages from Mkhwanazi for allegedly instigating violence against their client.
The counterclaim effectively doubles the value of Mkhwanazi’s existing defamation lawsuit against O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan's legal team, led by Ulrich Roux, has demanded that Mkhwanazi retract his statements and issue a public apology within two business days, failing which, the counterclaim for damages will proceed.
O’Sullivan accuses Mkhwanazi of making false and defamatory statements both at the Madlanga Commission and before a parliamentary ad hoc committee. According to O’Sullivan’s letter, the most incendiary statement was made during the parliamentary ad-hoc committee on October 8th, when Mkhwanazi reportedly said, “It is time that this country must not sit back and be run by Mr Paul O’Sullivan. And if the government fails to act on it, the men and women in this country are going to take it upon themselves to do something drastic about it.”
O’Sullivan’s attorneys argue that this statement constitutes a direct incitement to violence, and that it has already resulted in threats being made against their client. “These intentionally false allegations were unsubstantiated by any evidence whatsoever,” the letter stated.
The feud between O’Sullivan and Mkhwanazi first erupted last month, when Mkhwanazi filed a R5 million defamation lawsuit against O’Sullivan in the Johannesburg High Court. Mkhwanazi claimed that the investigator had made “wrongful and defamatory” statements about him in media interviews conducted between July and August. These statements included accusations of corruption, his alleged involvement in a police “hit squad”, and the misuse of state funds.
The dispute originated in July when Mkhwanazi held a press conference claiming that criminals had infiltrated the South African justice system. Following this press briefing, O’Sullivan questioned Mkhwanazi’s character and motives in various media appearances. Mkhwanazi stated that he initiated legal action after O’Sullivan refused to retract the allegations and issue an apology.
However, prior to O’Sullivan being able to file his plea, Mkhwanazi allegedly made a series of further public statements that O’Sullivan’s legal team claims were both defamatory and damaging. On September 19th, during the Madlanga Commission, Mkhwanazi alleged that O’Sullivan was under investigation for unspecified crimes in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Your client falsely alleged that our client has committed some or other unspecified crime that he has ‘picked up’ and that your client has ‘registered a case’,” the letter from O’Sullivan’s lawyers stated. O’Sullivan’s attorneys categorically deny these claims, asserting that their client has not committed any crimes whatsoever.
The accusations escalated further when Mkhwanazi made additional claims before the parliamentary ad hoc committee, including allegations that O’Sullivan could be “an agent working for someone else, or perhaps another government”; that the operations of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) were “planned, coordinated, and executed” at his residence; and that O’Sullivan has “got control all over”, and is effectively running the country.
O’Sullivan’s attorneys have dismissed these statements as “false and defamatory”, emphasising that their client’s income is derived from legitimate business activities, including property investments, and that he has no involvement whatsoever in police operations.
The letter from O'Sullivan's legal team also highlights the extensive media coverage of Mkhwanazi's claims, noting that major outlets such as SABC News, Cape Times, EWN, and IOL have reported on the allegations. Headlines like “Mkhwanazi Calls for Parliamentary Probe into Paul O’Sullivan” and “Mkhwanazi Drops Another Mchunu Bombshell” have fuelled public scrutiny and significantly intensified the reputational stakes for both parties involved.
O’Sullivan’s legal team argues that this widespread media coverage has compounded the harm to their client’s reputation. “The false and defamatory statements about our client were made with the intention of harming our client’s good name and reputation and his dignity,” the letter stated.
O’Sullivan himself has stated that the allegations have not only tarnished his reputation but have also jeopardised his business interests and personal safety. O’Sullivan’s attorneys claim that the alleged incitement to violence has already resulted in tangible consequences, including members of the public making direct threats against him.
With Mkhwanazi's deadline to respond to O’Sullivan’s demands rapidly approaching, the situation remains tense. Failure to retract his statements and issue a public apology by the specified deadline will almost certainly lead to the matter escalating to court, where a detailed and potentially explosive scrutiny of the allegations and counterclaims will unfold. The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for both O'Sullivan and Mkhwanazi, and raises serious questions about the relationship between law enforcement and those who investigate alleged wrongdoing.
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