In the heart of South Africa's ongoing battle against hidden criminal networks, a dramatic clash has unfolded at the highest levels of law enforcement. Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the police commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, has sparked intense anger from President Cyril Ramaphosa through bold actions that include exposing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya's alleged corruption live on television during his absence. This conflict centers on a special task team investigating political killings, which Mkhwanazi claims was shut down to protect powerful syndicates. His moves have not only challenged authority but also exposed deep rifts within the police force, leading to suspensions, inquiries, and questions about corruption that reach into the core of the nation's justice system.
The story begins with Mkhwanazi's public statements and behind-the-scenes efforts that directly targeted Mchunu and Sibiya. Members of the political killings task team, under Mkhwanazi's influence, made repeated attempts to secure arrest warrants for both men. These efforts started as early as November 2024, when team members approached prosecutors in Gauteng to build a case. They pushed forward, even traveling in a Mercedes-Benz V-class Kombi to meet with the director of public prosecutions in Mpumalanga last month. Their goal was clear: to gather enough evidence for arrests on charges related to interfering with investigations and possibly defeating the ends of justice. However, prosecutors turned them away each time, stating that the evidence presented was not strong enough to proceed.
Mkhwanazi did not stop there. In a high-profile briefing earlier this month, he described Sibiya as someone involved in criminal activities and suggested that political interference had led to the downfall of the task team. He pointed to what he called a potentially corrupt connection between certain individuals and Mchunu. Going further, Mkhwanazi revealed details about an organized crime syndicate that spans various parts of the criminal justice system. This network, he explained, includes politicians, law enforcement officers from the South African Police Service, metro police, and correctional services, as well as prosecutors and members of the judiciary. At its center is a drug cartel based in Gauteng, pulling strings to protect its operations.
These allegations painted a picture of a vast web of influence, where the task team had begun to uncover uncomfortable truths. Mkhwanazi mentioned that the team was gathering evidence for a possible case against Mchunu involving the obstruction of justice in ongoing probes.
He noted that they were still seeking clarity on the origins of certain instructions that seemed to come from higher up, possibly linked to an inter-ministerial committee overseeing such matters. Once the evidence satisfied prosecutors, Mkhwanazi said, a formal docket would be opened, allowing the case to move to court and reveal the reasons behind the task team's closure.
Sibiya, aware of these arrest attempts, responded by recommending that members of the task team face charges themselves. He highlighted an incident where they allegedly kidnapped a forensic services captain, took his laptop, and deleted files that could implicate team members in unauthorized actions related to killings outside the law. Additionally, Sibiya called for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to look into claims against the task team's leader, who reportedly received money deposits into his bank accounts from suspects connected to the murder of Mboneli Vesele, the bodyguard of Fort Hare vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.
The tension escalated when Mchunu publicly criticized Mkhwanazi's appearance during his briefing. Mchunu pointed out Mkhwanazi's choice to wear a camouflage task force uniform and carry a firearm, contrasting it with his own approach of showing respect without such displays. Without naming Mkhwanazi directly, Mchunu warned against allowing any single person to act as suspector, investigator, prosecutor, and judge all at once, calling it a complete reversal of the principles fought for in the pursuit of justice.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa is reportedly very angry with General Mkhwanazi after he calculated his press briefing move where he dropped his bombshell live on television while the president was out of the country, attending the Bricks summit. This plan did not sit down well with the ANC strongman. However, most citizens are of the view that, if General Mkhwanazi had not done what he did, nothing would have happened, especially considering that the political killings task team has been facing very stiff resistance from Minister Senzo Mchunu and General Sibiya.
This dispute revolves around the political killings task team, established in 2018 by an inter-ministerial committee that included ministers from police, state security, defense, and justice and correctional services. The team's purpose was to probe a series of targeted killings tied to political motives, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. However, by the end of last year, Mchunu directed National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola to disband the unit. In a letter dated 31 December 2024, Mchunu observed that the team was no longer necessary and added no further value to policing efforts in South Africa. He instructed its immediate disestablishment and requested a final report by 20 January 2025, though that report has yet to materialize.
Mkhwanazi fiercely opposed this decision, accusing Mchunu of shutting down the team to shield criminal syndicates. He detailed how the investigations in Gauteng had exposed a syndicate involving serving politicians in Parliament, officers from various law enforcement branches, prosecutors in Gauteng, and even judicial figures. All of these, according to Mkhwanazi, were under the control of a drug cartel and businesspeople operating from Gauteng. Mchunu, now on special leave, denied these claims, stating that he would not permit unfounded insinuations to damage his integrity or that of the police service. He mentioned that a review of Mkhwanazi's statements was underway, with appropriate actions to follow.
Last week, Sibiya was also placed on special leave amid probes into Mkhwanazi's accusations that he had removed criminal dockets from the task team to hinder investigations. In a closed session with members of Parliament, Sibiya explained that he acted on instructions from Masemola, presenting a letter from Masemola's office to support his position. The turmoil has drawn President Ramaphosa directly into the fray. Last week, he received documents highlighting internal concerns within the South African Police Service about the task team's effectiveness and rising costs. These papers indicated that as early as April 2024, Masemola was advised to consider deactivating the team.
Among the documents was a note from SAPS Chief Financial Officer Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane to Masemola on 16 April 2024. This followed a request from Crime Intelligence Head Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, who managed the task team with Sibiya's support, for a budget of R94 million in March 2024. Khumalo himself was arrested last month on corruption-related charges. Dimpane warned that the police service could not afford such funding due to an 11 percent cut in the operational budget. She recommended approving only R20 million for the 2024/2025 financial year and deactivating the team after the elections, noting it had been active for five years.
Masemola approved the reduced amount but stated that the team would continue as long as work remained, suggesting it be localized to KwaZulu-Natal. Sources close to discussions with Ramaphosa revealed that the president questioned Masemola and Mkhwanazi sharply about these matters, including the task team's alleged extravagant spending at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga, where rooms cost between R5,700 and R20,000 per night. Ramaphosa expressed displeasure that Mkhwanazi had made his public statements while the president was attending a BRICS summit in Brazil. It became evident that concerns about costs and conduct predated Mchunu's appointment as minister in July 2024.
Ramaphosa appointed Mchunu to the police minister role in July 2024, but placed him on special leave amid Mkhwanazi's allegations that Mchunu was linked to criminal associates holding state secrets.
Mkhwanazi cited the arrest of murder accused Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, who secured a R360 million tender from the police service. Communications found on Matlala's phone reportedly showed exchanges with Brown Mogotsi, described as a close associate of Mchunu. In these messages, Mogotsi allegedly mentioned that Sibiya and the minister needed to find a solution, and that the task team which had searched Matlala's home was dissolved, with dockets being transferred to Sibiya.
Further details from these conversations suggested Matlala was supporting political endeavors involving Mchunu and Mogotsi. Mchunu initially denied knowing Mogotsi in Parliament but later acknowledged him as a comrade from the North West. Mkhwanazi argued that the disbandment aimed to prevent the task team from exposing syndicates within the criminal justice system. He specified that on 26 March 2025, 121 case dockets were removed from the task team on Sibiya's orders, following Mchunu's directive, without approval from the national or provincial commissioner. These dockets have since remained at head office with no further investigative progress.
However, records show that Mchunu's instruction was relayed to Sibiya through Masemola's office, and Masemola was informed of the disbandment, as evidenced by his update to Mchunu in March 2025. This week, Mkhwanazi retrieved those 121 dockets back to KwaZulu-Natal, prompting worries about potential parallel investigations that could interfere with official inquiries. Sibiya wrote to Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale, expressing concerns that Mkhwanazi was undermining a presidential commission by setting up his own team to inspect the dockets and gather statements. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe clarified that the dockets had not yet been moved from head office, but plans were in place for their collection.
Amid this chaos, President Ramaphosa announced a commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption and political interference in the police, even though he already possesses two prior reports on similar issues. One is from the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, submitted in May 2024, which analyzes how law enforcement can better coordinate against corruption. Ramaphosa has not publicly addressed or implemented its findings. The council, announced in February 2021 during widespread tender fraud in the Covid-19 era, had its members appointed on 29 August 2022. Professor Firoz Cachalia, who will act as police minister starting next month due to Mchunu's leave, chairs the council.
Sources indicate Cachalia plans to use the report to enhance law enforcement independence and collaboration. At a November 2024 conference by the Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution, Cachalia expressed a desire to release the full report but cited bureaucratic hurdles. He outlined proposals for a new chapter 9 institution with powers to conduct audits, seize assets, investigate corruption without overlapping the Hawks' mandate, and prepare cases under the National Prosecuting Authority's supervision.
Ramaphosa has also held onto a report for over three years from a panel led by Professor Sandy Africa, investigating security failures during the July 2021 riots that led to more than 300 deaths and R50 billion in economic damage. Completed in November 2021 and released in February 2022, it criticized the slow response by police and intelligence, linking the unrest to ANC factional fights triggered by former President Jacob Zuma's arrest. Recommendations included stabilizing and depoliticizing police, crime intelligence, and national intelligence services, but no evidence shows implementation.
Despite these untouched reports, Ramaphosa appointed a new commission last Sunday, headed by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, with Senior Counsel Sesi Baloyi and Sandile Khumalo as commissioners. Gazetted officially, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System will examine Mkhwanazi's claims. Its mandate covers the infiltration of institutions like the South African Police Service, including its Crime Intelligence and the political killings task team; metro police in JOHANNESBURG, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane; the National Prosecuting Authority; the State Security Agency; the judiciary and magistracy; and the Correctional Services Department.
The commission will investigate if these bodies were manipulated to protect criminal interests, silence whistle-blowers, suppress probes, or intimidate leaders. It can assess evidence against officials and recommend suspensions. Under the Commissions Act of 1947, it has powers to subpoena witnesses, access classified files, perform searches and seizures, and hold private hearings for security reasons. Beyond criminal networks like drug cartels, it will probe political interference by current and former officials, including Cabinet members overseeing justice and policing, for possible failures in oversight or compromise.
An interim report is due within three months, with a final one in six, though extensions are possible. Reports will go to Ramaphosa and National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza. The African National Congress has defended the commission, highlighting successes of past inquiries like those on state capture and the South African Revenue Service.
Political backlash has emerged, with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party accusing Ramaphosa of lacking courage by placing Mchunu on leave instead of firing him. On Tuesday, the party's Chief Whip Colleen Makhubele announced a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa, filing papers with the Constitutional Court to challenge Mchunu's status and Cachalia's acting appointment. She described it as a deceptive tactic and mobilized supporters for a parliamentary debate within two weeks. The party also criticized Ramaphosa's recent dismissal of former Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane as selective, arguing Mchunu deserved the same treatment.
Who do you think has a better plan, General Mkhwanazi who wants Minister Senzo Mchunu arrested, or President Ramaphosa who opted for a Commission Of Inquiry to investigate everything and everyone?
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