DURBAN – In an explosive turn of events, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has publicly accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of orchestrating the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team to protect politically connected members of a criminal syndicate from prosecution. The allegations, made during a press briefing on Sunday, have sent ripples through the South African political landscape, prompting calls for urgent parliamentary intervention and a response from President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mkhwanazi did not mince words, stating, "I can confirm before South Africans today that the investigation which these members were involved with in Gauteng has unmasked the syndicate, and this syndicate involves, amongst others, politicians who are currently serving in Parliament." He further alleged that the syndicate's reach extends into "the South African Police Service, the metro police and Correctional Services," as well as "prosecutors in Gauteng province, the judiciary… and all these are controlled by the drug cartel and businesspeople in Gauteng. This act, of course, undermines the criminal justice system in this country."
The allegations are particularly damning given the success of the Political Killings Task Team. Formed in the wake of the 2018 assassination of ANC activist Musawenkosi “Qashana” Mchunu, the team, backed by a multi-agency presidential task force, had investigated over 600 politically related dockets, arrested 436 suspects, and recovered 156 firearms, with at least 55 linked to political crimes, by 2025. Their efforts had resulted in convictions totalling over 1,800 years in prison across more than 100 cases.
Mkhwanazi's accusations centre on a letter issued by Minister Mchunu on 31 December 2024, to National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, requesting the task team's disbandment. Mchunu reportedly justified the decision by claiming the team was no longer adding value to policing in the province, according to the SABC.
Despite this directive, Mkhwanazi asserted that he would continue to fight to ensure the task team was allowed to proceed with high-profile investigations, as members of the task team were working with detectives in Gauteng on possible cover-ups in murder cases in the province that involved senior police officers.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mkhwanazi revealed that the disbandment was followed by a series of internal memos from SAPS Crime Detection head Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, withdrawing 121 case dockets from the team without the approval of the national or provincial commissioners. These dockets have reportedly sat untouched at the SAPS head office ever since.
The Sunday briefing also included the revelation of WhatsApp messages and screenshots allegedly sourced from the phone of accused businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, showing communication between Matlala, Minister Mchunu, and a politically connected intermediary, Brown Mogotsi. Matlala was arrested by the task team in May and faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering.
The chats allegedly suggest knowledge of the task team’s disbandment before it was made public, direct discussions of "solutions" to investigations, and apparent financial support for political campaigns and 8 January ANC events.
Less than two weeks after Matlala's arrest, the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption moved to seize the task team’s exhibits, including Matlala’s cellphone, and arrested the team’s project coordinator. One of the syndicate suspects arrested by the team, Katiso Molefe, was granted bail.
According to Mkhwanazi, the effect of these actions has been "chilling," with the Gauteng investigations into organised crime "compromised" and confidence in the State’s willingness to prosecute politically connected suspects further eroded.
Adding further detail, Mkhwanazi claimed that on 5 March 2025, the provincial commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal made a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Police that included the allegations involving an alleged associate of the minister of police, Brown Mogotsi. Mkhwanazi said Mchunu denied knowing Mogotsi in Parliament; however, he confirmed “that he knows this Mr Brown Mogotsi during the telephonic conversation, which was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), under a handle called londcare on 30 March, where he confirmed that this was his comrade from North West Province”.
He further alleged that evidence has been found on the cellphone of Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala, which shows communication between Mogotsi and the minister of police.
In response to the allegations, Sibiya expressed his disappointment and shock in an interview with the SABC. "This matter just came to my attention now, and I have not been made aware of all the details. I will certainly respond after I have had an opportunity to ascertain the issues and subject to the relations and protocols. As a disciplined member of the SA police department, I am not going to follow the path that General Mkhwanazi followed," he said.
News24 reached out to Mchunu’s spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, for comment. “The minister is yet to advise on how he will proceed,” she said.
The allegations have sparked widespread condemnation and calls for immediate action. The EFF expressed grave concern, stating the briefing laid bare "the existence of a powerful, organised criminal syndicate operating at the highest levels of the South African state." The party urged the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, to convene an urgent portfolio committee sitting for a briefing from Mchunu.
Cameron himself stated that the DA had written to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza for an urgent debate in Parliament on corruption within the SAPS. "These disturbing allegations of corruption, political interference and malfeasance at the very top of South Africa’s law enforcement and national security infrastructure must be investigated immediately," said Cameron. "The President of the republic, who is presently away, must also immediately respond to allegations against a Cabinet minister."
Build One South Africa (Bosa) said it was "disturbed by the string of weighty revelations. Of particular concern is General Mkhwanazi’s claim that the task team appointed to investigate police killings was deliberately sabotaged from within the South African Police Service (SAPS). If true, this fundamentally undermines the integrity of our criminal justice institutions and threatens public safety."
Bosa joined the growing calls for Mchunu, Mkhwanazi, and others involved to urgently appear before Parliament.
Despite the challenges, Mkhwanazi ended his briefing with a call to SAPS members to "stand up and protect our people against this criminal syndicate," even as he confirmed a formal criminal investigation was under way into the apparent capture of parts of South Africa’s criminal justice system. "Despite all these challenges, we acknowledge and appreciate the resilience of the members of the Political Killings Task Team," said Mkhwanazi. "They remain operational, albeit with serious attempts to disrupt their work."
Daily Maverick reached out to Mchunu’s spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, for comment and received a video of the minister saying: “We have become aware of what General Mkhwanazi has been saying. I didn’t have time to look at TV, but there are those statements that he has said. We will, in good time, apply our minds to those kinds of statements.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa has since responded to the allegations, stating that he has noted the statements made by Mkhwanazi and that the matter is of "grave national security concern."
“This is a matter of grave national security concern that is receiving the highest-priority attention. It is vital that the integrity of the country’s security services is safeguarded and that the rule of law is affirmed,” Ramaphosa said. “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.”
The Presidency said Ramaphosa will outline the actions to be taken on this matter on his return from the Brics Leaders’ Summit currently under way in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Mkhwanazi has registered a criminal investigation against Mchunu following claims of political interference in work carried out by a task team into political killings.
The situation remains fluid, with the nation awaiting further developments and President Ramaphosa's promised response upon his return.
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